Shells And Shadows
by Saiyan Hunter
Summary: Son Gohan has just defeated Cell, but his next challenge is an unexpected one. To make things worse he doesn't have access to his Super Saiyan abilities! With the arrival of Zeus and the corruption of a second Gohan, can the demi-Saiyan rise and defeat his opponents and find his way back home?
1. Episode 1 A Brave New World

Shells And Shadows  
  
It was very late on a Saturday night. Son Gohan laid lazily in his bed, dressed in a white T-shirt and black shorts. His eyes were fixed on a spot on the ceiling of his room. To him that very spot was special. It didn't have any particular markings on it to tell it apart from the rest of the roof. Instead it was because with a little bit of concentration Gohan was able to see back into the past a couple of days. Everything he recalled was memory; the ceiling was simply a means of projecting it mentally. The past had been tough on him. It was only a few weeks earlier that he had defeated Cell. There was time for rejoicing, for Cell was a terror that went beyond imagination. However the victory did not come without large prices. Many lives were lost. The most notable from Gohan's standpoint was his own father.  
  
For weeks Gohan had been beating himself up. He had only enjoyed his victory for a short time before the reality that his father was gone had sunk in. Cheers turned into silent frowns at that time. Everyone mourned the passing of Goku. The only difference was that Gohan had the hardest time just letting go. He blamed himself for everything.  
  
The weather outside was dreary at best. It was cold, damp, and the makings of a storm were starting to creep over the Son house. Gohan couldn't help but feel that the weather was a direct outward expression of his feelings at the moment. He slithered off of his bed and walked over to the window barefoot. At that moment it began to drizzle. Little raindrops floated into the room and splashed onto his nose and face. He didn't bother to wipe them off.  
  
Cell is gone, but so is my father. What do I do? I know that it wasn't my fault, but then again... I shouldn't have been so cocky. I should have just finished him off. I so badly wanted to give him some of his own medicine. To make him feel the fear that we all had felt we he decided he was going to destroy everything. If I had just killed him my father wouldn't be dead...  
  
Outside the thunder and lighting crashed loudly, making Gohan's eyes snap up and at attention. He began thinking about the storm. It accurately portrayed what he was thinking and feeling. Not only that but Piccolo was probably out there meditating in it. Gohan couldn't help but smile about that. Piccolo was like the Postman. Neither rain nor snow shall keep him from his goals.  
  
Gohan...  
  
Gohan jumped backward, startled by the voice. His fighting instincts caused him to immediately jump into a ready position as his eyes searched the room. There was no one there, of course. He would have seen them coming much sooner than that. Gohan inched toward the window expecting that someone might be right outside of it. They might be waiting for him to stick his head out so that they could attack. He wouldn't give them the chance.  
  
"HA!" With the grace of an acrobat he jumped through the opening in the window, somersaulted on the ground and stood up with pivoting on his feet. He was now facing his house, but there were no signs of anyone around. The only thing he had managed to figure out was how quickly a white shirt could get dirty. Still he stayed on his toes, not sure whether or not he had heard anything in the first place.  
  
Gohan... help us...  
  
The question of whether or not he had heard the voice had now been answered. There was someone out there somewhere, but the voice had no direction to it. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. Gohan couldn't do a thing besides stand in the rain and wait for someone to come out. No one ever did.  
  
"Who are you?!" The water dripped down his face, which was now curled up in an irritated look. It was as if the wind was trying to make fun of him.  
  
Gohan... if you can hear me... follow...  
  
After hearing the voice a third time Gohan noticed two things about it that he hadn't before. First was that it was indeed a female voice. It was soft as well, almost faint. It was as if she were calling from very far away. The second is that there was a sense of urgency in it that convinced him that it wasn't someone just playing tricks. Whoever she was it was very clear that she needed help. It was just a matter of finding her now.  
  
"Where are you? What's wrong?"  
  
Gohan... if you can hear me... follow my voice...  
  
"I can't! Where-" That was the last thing he had a chance to say because at that moment there was a large explosion right in front of him. It was small and it happened between his body and the house itself. A bolt of lightning had collided with the ground, but it didn't make any marks in the area. Instead it hovered mere inches above, glowing with ungodly brightness. Gohan had to shield his eyes from the light, as it was overload for his eyes to handle.  
  
Follow my voice...  
  
Gohan instead inched back, almost tripping as he did. He couldn't see a thing with all that light so he had to make some distance. As he did it began to dim. It soon reached a point where he could actually look at it without going blind. It was a marvel to behold. An actual bolt of electricity was standing in mid-air.  
  
"What... is this all about?"  
  
Just then two more bolts crashed into the ground. The difference was that they were much larger, much brighter, and they both landed much closer to Gohan himself. He covered up his eyes and head far after they had hit, not able to react in time. It didn't take him long to see a pattern here.  
  
"They... oh no." He dived instinctually, and it was a good instinct. The next bolt of electricity saw fit to occupy his space. It missed him by a good few feet, but had he not moved it would have implanted itself in his head. As Gohan somersaulted to his feet again he knew there was something up. He gazed up into the sky, thinking that it might be a literal thing. He started to lift into the air when the next one that came down struck him. The surge raced through his body like venom, stinging him in every possible place. Even his fingertips felt like they were on fire.  
  
"Damn." No more chances. The chi around his body began to excite as his body began to harness it. The area around him grew in heat slightly as his hair whipped upward. The chi became visible as white streaks, and then they became blue. His eyes melted into a turquoise blend and his hair seemingly caught fire and then settled down to a golden glow. He rose into the air and then detected something coming down. Quickly he moved out of the way of an incoming bolt. This one did strike the ground and did leave a nasty mark. Gohan blasted off into the air, avoided all of the raining electricity with his superior speed. Before long he was above the clouds that seemed to be supplying them. It was then he found out that the clouds weren't supplying them. About 50 yards in front of him was the real culprit. Problem was that Gohan had no clue what it was.  
  
It looks like some sort of swirling energy... er- thing. What is it doing here, and why does it seem to be attacking me? What is... what is that?  
  
The questions just kept piling up. Now the energy mass was beginning to slowly expand outward, pushing through the clouds and also closing the distance between it and Gohan. The only thing Gohan was really worried about was whether or not it was safe to let it move closer to his house. It might get a little violent and sent some lighting bolts through the roof.  
  
Gohan...  
  
"That voice again." It was very soft, almost relaxing. In fact Gohan let his guard down for just a second, hoping to figure out just why he was being called. That's when it struck. A "laser lasso" of sorts whipped out from the energy ball and snagged Gohan's left wrist. It had been so quick that even he wasn't able to detect the movement. On top of that the grip was tight and when Gohan tried to free it with his other hand it almost electrocuted his offending hand.  
  
"Won't try that again." Gohan's slight wit was lost onto himself as he continued to struggle against the energy rope. It had now started contracting. He was now on a collision course with the swirling energy. Things were made worse when it started exerting a gravitational pull that was aiding in bringing Gohan to it's center. 50 yards turned into 5 almost instantly. Gohan gave on final pull in hopes of finally breaking the hold, but it didn't work. His hand made contact, causing him to flinch in anticipation of the worst. It never happened, as the outer wall seemed to feel more like warm gelatin than electricity. It pulled him in all the way. Gohan took one last breath while he could. Then there was darkness...  
  
**********  
  
Yamcha sprung over the rubble with one hand and ducked down to the floor. He looked more ragged than usual. His gi was extremely torn, the top half almost hanging off of his body. He wore an unusual pair of eyewear, covering his face like goggles. They were black with a long, red lens. Yamcha checked the area around him from his lowered position, making sure there wasn't anyone around. He pressed a button on his goggles.  
  
"Area 5-1 clear. Reporting back to base." He turned around and was about to hop back over the rubble when a bright light appeared behind him. Yamcha turned to face it; that was a bad idea. It was far too bright to look at with the naked eye, and his eyewear didn't help to filter out any of the light rays either. He covered up instead, almost cowering away from the superior power. It only became brighter, but a shadow did appear in the middle. The light than began to die down and only then did Yamcha attempt to take a look at what had appeared. His response was quick.  
  
"Oh my god..." He began stuttering nonsense, trying to say a million things at once. Gohan, who had finally escaped the portal (which was what he had deduced it to be), could only stare at Yamcha and wonder how hard he must have been training to get his gi in that kind of condition. Questions about the visor that Yamcha was wearing came to mind as well.  
  
"Yamcha, what are you wearing?" Gohan walked over and reached for the visor, but Yamcha pulled back. He shrank away from Gohan as if he was scared of him. Gohan couldn't figure it out. "What's the problem, Yamcha? What happened to your clothes?"  
  
"Get away from me, you demon! I don't care who you are! I'll fight you to the death!" Yamcha composed himself to get into a mockery of a fighting stance. His knees, had they been close enough to each other, would have been chattering and knocking together. His fear was apparent; the reason for it wasn't so clear.  
  
"Yamcha- what did I do?" The genuine concern and bewilderment seemed to win the human over for just a moment. While he didn't look like he was going to invite Gohan to come any closer, he didn't look like he was going to attack either. That would give Gohan a chance to talk Yamcha through the whole ordeal to see if he could get some information.  
  
"You know damn well what you did! You... how can you live with yourself." Yamcha clenched his fist, but not in anger. It was sorrow. Sorrow over came him in the form of tears and anguish. Yamcha became overly weak and fell down to his knees. "Go ahead. I know you like your sadistic games. You like to torture people so that they beg you to stop. Well I don't plan on giving you the satisfaction. You are going to have to just kill me?"  
  
Gohan was completely confused now. The emotion that Yamcha was going through told him that it wasn't just a joke. Everything that Yamcha was saying he believed. That didn't make any sense, though, because Gohan wasn't a killer. Everyone knew that. The only person he had killed was Cell, and Yamcha wouldn't get upset over that. He had been part of the victory celebration.  
  
"Yamcha... I don't know what you are talking about."  
  
"Don't toy with me, Gohan! I saw it with my own eyes. You... you... you bastard!" Yamcha lunged at Gohan and swung a mighty right hand, but it was easily avoided. Gohan just let him pass and he hit the floor, still sobbing and talking under his breath.  
  
"Yamcha..."  
  
"Don't call me! You don't have the right to call me by my name!"  
  
"What did I do?" Gohan started to try to help his friend up, but decided against it. Something had upset Yamcha, and that wasn't the way to help. Instead Gohan stood his ground, trying to convey in his face that he was not an enemy. Gohan doubted it would work. Yamcha got up under his own power and kept his back to Gohan.  
  
"Go ahead... do it... like what you did to him..."  
  
Now Gohan was starting to get a little bit annoyed. Everything Yamcha was saying was inconclusive. There were no real solid answers. Gohan was a patient person, but that was starting to run thin. He was in a weird place with a friend of his that was wearing space age glasses and looked like he had fought twenty battles too many.  
  
"Yamcha. Tell me what it is that I did." The stern look that Gohan now wore on his face provoked a reaction as Yamcha turned around and faced him once again. It wasn't the one he would have liked.  
  
P-Tu!  
  
Yamcha spat right in his face. It was cold and full of malice. Gohan was stunned. The anger and sorrow etched in Yamcha's face was unlike he had ever seen before. It was true hate. Something had happened while he was in the energy sphere to change Yamcha's attitude toward himself, but it had only transported him to another part of the planet it looked. Gohan had figured it to be a high-speed warp.   
  
What could have happened in the time that I was in that thing to make Yamcha hate me so much? It couldn't have anything to do with Cell. What else? Can he be upset about... oh no. It's my father. That's what it is. He's upset that I let my father die in the Cell games. I got carried away. I know that it was a mistake, but I was more torn than anyone for letting him die. The last time I saw Yamcha he was trying to help me deal with it. Something still isn't adding up.  
  
Gohan wiped the fresh saliva off of his face, now a look of remorse in his eye. "Yamcha... this is about my father, isn't it?"  
  
"YOU DAMN RIGHT IT IS! HOW COULD YOU KILL HIM IN COLD BLOOD LIKE THAT? FOR KAMI'S SAKE, GOHAN! HE WAS YOUR FATHER, AND YOU STABBED HIM IN THE BACK JUST BECAUSE THAT EVIL BASTARD ASKED YOU TOO?"  
  
"... What are you talking about, Yamcha? Cell never asked me to kill my father, and if he did you know I wouldn't listen to him. What makes you think that I would purposely do something like that?"  
  
Yamcha was on the verge of yet another verbal tirade when he noticed that Gohan was being very calm about the situation. Amidst all his anger he hadn't realized that Gohan hadn't once raised his hand to attack. The Gohan he knew would have already plastered him against the wall. That meant that this was either a very clever clone, or maybe the real Gohan had finally freed himself from the clutches of that madman.  
  
Yamcha took a deep breath and breathed out. He needed to clear his own head for the moment and get his thoughts on track. "You claim to know nothing about what happened to your father."  
  
"Yamcha. I know that he died saving us from Cell."  
  
Yamcha shook his head. "I don't know how, but someway I think you might have lost your memory. That might be why you haven't tried to kill me yet. I think there might be hope for you, but I don't want to bring you with us just yet." Yamcha pressed another button on his visor and muttered a few things. "We have to be sure."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Bringing in an expert. Don't worry about it. If you are what you are claiming to be and don't know what you claim you don't know then everything will work out fine. My colleague should be familiar to you. He should be by shortly."  
  
"Okay. Fine. Tell me this though. Why are you wearing that visor?"  
  
Yamcha became silent, unwilling to answer the question. Gohan didn't want to make the now friendlier situation any worse so he left it at that. Within a few moments he heard a sound from above. By instinct he brought his hands up. Then he saw the figure. The man was standing atop a demolished building, on the end of a metal pole. Almost as soon as Gohan caught a glimpse the man disappeared, literally.  
  
"How-" Just then the figure reappeared, right in front of Gohan. It was plain as day now. The face was unmistakable.  
  
Yamcha stepped over to the taller man. "Well... what do you think? Is he the real deal? I figured you would know. You knew him best other than his father."  
  
Piccolo stared at Gohan, almost staring through him instead. His appearance, unlike that of Yamcha's, had not changed. He wore his purple gi proudly with his blue sash. "Yeah. It's him. I'm sure of it." Piccolo allowed a smile to creep up onto his face momentarily. "When did you find him?"  
  
"Just after I checked the area. He appeared out of a portal like all the rest of them did. I thought he was still with them, but he didn't try to kill me at all. He just kept asking me what was wrong. I think he might have lost his memory."  
  
Piccolo continued to gaze at Gohan, studying his eyes as he talked. "Are you sure it was the same kind of portal?"  
  
"No. I wasn't able to look at this one. It was far too bright. I would have been blinded." Yamcha rubbed his eyes just from thinking about it. "Are you thinking something else?"  
  
"Yes, but I don't want to discuss it here. We need to get to one of the security bunks before we are detected. I'm sure a least a few of those rust buckets have locked onto our life forces by now. We just have to move fast enough to lose them. Just keep your chi low and everything will be fine."   
  
Yamcha nodded in agreement and began moving back past the rubble into a darker alleyway. Piccolo did the same. Gohan didn't go anywhere. Piccolo turned back once he realized it.  
  
"If you plan on getting any answers I suggest that you move now."  
  
"Too late." Yamcha pointed into the sky. Floating in the air about Gohan were two hovering crafts. They looked like flying heads, with two wide windows and then a half a sphere for a bottom. They didn't look very menacing, but Yamcha and Piccolo seemed rattled enough.  
  
"Damn it! Move it, Gohan. Those sentinels are going to open fire." Piccolo reached out for Gohan, but still Gohan made no effort to move. One of the sentinels opened up on the bottom and a small cannon came out. It aimed itself at Gohan.  
  
"I'll show you to try and intimidate me!" Gohan balled his fists up and raised his chi. He was about to break into Super Saiyan level when he noticed that he wasn't able to gain any more power than what he had. Worse still was that he had to really concentrate to keep what he had at his disposal. The level of concentration required wouldn't even allow him to use his chi effectively. It was then that Gohan understood why everyone had ducked for cover.  
  
The same thing must affect them all. That's why they didn't want the sentinel to see them... I think I'm in trouble.  
  
Dodging was out of the question. There was no time. The shot was fired and it clipped Gohan on the shoulder. Piccolo had pulled him out of the way in time to only sustain mild injuries. It could have been worse. There were a thousand things going through his head at that point, but it would have to wait until he wasn't in danger. He jumped over the rubble and took off with Piccolo and Yamcha down the alley. There he found that they weren't actually running away, at least Piccolo wasn't. Yamcha picked up a silver pistol with a black handle. Piccolo reached for a long shotgun that was propped up against a wall. He then flicked a button on the side and it began to make a whirling sound.  
  
"Yes, it is a gun, Gohan." Piccolo said seemingly answering the question before it was asked. Gohan blinked a few times to show that he heard but was still baffled. "When we reach one of the safe houses I'll explain it. For now just stand back. This thing isn't a toy." Gohan did as told. Even Yamcha took a step back. Piccolo lifted the gun and pointed it right at the alleyway entrance and waited. Soon the sentinels came around the corner, side by side. It didn't leave much room for evading anything.  
  
"Stop, rebels." Turrets for the guns began to open on the top of the sentinels.  
  
"I don't think so." The Namek pulled the trigger and let loose a large beam that was about the size of his head. It ripped through the sentinel on the right, causing it to explode instantaneously. Yamcha grabbed Gohan by the arm and lead him deeper into the alley. Piccolo was close behind. The second sentinel made it's way through the smoke and fire, but by that time it had lost their position. It stayed it's ground for just a few minutes more, scanning the area, but in the end it failed to find them again so it went back to it's original security procedures.  
  
Behind a large cardboard box Yamcha finally exhaled the breath he had taken nearly 5 minutes ago. Piccolo did the same. Gohan calmly stood up and stared right at him. "Okay, Piccolo. Lead the way. I want to find out what is going on here." Piccolo nodded and bounded it, doing nothing more than jumping long distances, although short for what they were used to. Gohan and Yamcha were right behind. They covered great distance that way and found themselves in a tall grass field in no time. Suddenly Piccolo stopped. Gohan nearly ran right into him.  
  
"This is far enough." The shotgun dropped to the floor. Yamcha pulled out his pistol again and aimed it right at Gohan's head. Reacting to the hostile attitude Gohan raised his hands in surrender.  
  
"Do you think that we were going to bring you back to our base just like that? I don't think so." The desert bandit's fingers trembled on the trigger as if he was torn between extreme sorrow and excitement. "You don't know how long I've waited to get you like this. Now we can take revenge for what you did."   
  
"No, Yamcha." Piccolo moved the pistol in a safe direction with his hand. Yamcha was in shock. "I didn't lead him out here so that you could put a bullet in his head. I want to know what he knows." Piccolo's gaze tuned to Gohan. "So talk."  
  
"All I know is that I was in my house when a storm started up." Gohan scratched his head, sorting through his story mentally. He still was having problems understanding some of it. "Some girl started calling me and before I could find her a large, swirling portal swallowed me up. That's when I found Yamcha. The rest you know."  
  
"That's all well and good," stated Piccolo, "but that doesn't solve the mystery of why you turned you back on us and killed Goku. What was it that that unforgiving bastard offered you that would make you turn on the world? I didn't think that anything could buy you out. That was my mistake."  
  
"Piccolo... I don't understand. Please, explain what happened to me so that I'll know what you are talking about."  
  
Yamcha and Piccolo gave each other uneasy looks. They wanted to believe, but they weren't convinced just yet. Piccolo sighed and began the story. "About 1 year ago you had just reached the next plateau in your training. After months of hard work and pain you were able to make your anger your fuel and you finally hit Super Saiyan Level 2. It amazed everyone, except for your father. He had known all along that you were indeed the best. Only about 2 days after your accomplishment an unwelcome guest visited us. He called himself Zeus. He arrived in his star ship above this very field. He had many troops clad in white armor with black trimming. Goku and I just happened to be training you at that moment. You were still expanding your Super Saiyan power..."  
  
Flashback  
  
"What the hell is that?" yelled Piccolo. The ship had yet to stop and was making quite a bit of noise. Goku and Gohan stared at it, wondering the same thing to themselves. Troops were all over the place, surrounding them. The three didn't like how things were going down, but they didn't want to start a fight if it wasn't necessary. They allowed the troops to continue out of the ship. After the last troop found his way to the ground a group of four descended. One was a tall, slender man. He was slightly more than 6 feet fall. On each hand was a gloved claw, extending to about 1 foot each. His skin was darkly tanned and his black spandex pants bore a yellow stripe down the sides. His outfit was topped off with black shin-high boots, a yellow sash around the waist, and one evil smile. His face looked like that of a true psychopathic killer. The mystery man had a chiseled physic, although still very slender. The golden hair on his head laid over his shoulder in a large braid, weighted down at the end by small cross.  
  
The second person in the group was significantly taller than the first and happened to be female. Her skin was less tanned and her clothing consisted of a one piece all purple 'bathing suit' that rode high on her legs and showed nothing else. Her nails were painted red and her arms were wrapped in white bandages all the way up to the elbow. Her legs were the same, with the bandages covering the leg up to the kneecap and down to the heel of the foot. The woman's hair was dark brown and reached down to her shoulders. Her main feature was her muscularity, not masculine but its power was understood. She was still very feminine. Just the expression on her face showed that she still had a softer side.  
  
The third person in the group was easily the shortest of everyone. The fact was that it was impossible to figure out whether it was a man or a woman. The person wore a red cloak with a hood that was brought as far over the head as conceivably possible. That masked the person inside. The only other visible part of this one was the tan rope around the waist used for tightening the robe.  
  
It took one look at the last man in the lineup for Piccolo, Gohan, and Goku to realize that he was the one leading the entire outfit. The presence around him was just staggering. Even from the distance that they were the three could feel his sense of superiority. It may have just bordered on cockiness. He was a large, thick man, covered in muscle from head to toe. His height was just about that of the 'Amazonian' woman, with his body being much more muscular. He wore a black body suit that covered everything, including his head. It had an executioner-type mask on, form fitting on his face. Over his hands he wore large, yellow gauntlets that looked like they were bolted to his body by the rubies at the base of them. His large, yellow combat boots were much the same way, bolted in place with red rubies. Of all of them he was the only one who seemed to be glowing with any power at all.  
  
The four of them landed in front of the soldiers and walked over to Gohan, Goku, and Piccolo. The last one (the executioner) never actually touched the ground. He instead floated the entire way. He went right over to Goku, who stared right back at him.  
  
"So you are Goku..." He shook his head. "I have to say that you are a disappointment. I thought you would be the strongest. That is why I came for you."  
  
"Who are you?" demanded Piccolo, never one for beating around the bush.  
  
"You do not ask the master questions!" snapped the clawed warrior. He appeared ready to lunge at Piccolo when the 'executioner' stopped him.  
  
"Calm yourself. This is not the time." He looked back to the three Z warriors. "My name is Zeus. This charming man with the claws on his hands is Bison. The woman's name is Sable. The man in the robe is my right hand, Hearst. Do not bother introducing yourselves. We already know who you are. I am here to recruit the strongest fighter on this planet into my fold. As you can see I already have three. My data had indicated that this Goku here was the strongest, but now that I can see for myself it doesn't seem to be correct."  
  
Piccolo stepped toward Zeus. Even he ended up being shorter than the big man, but that didn't intimidate him in the least. "Listen, Zeus. We aren't interested in anything you have to offer. Judging by all the soldiers you brought with you it doesn't look like you have just recruiting in mind. Care to explain that?"  
  
"This is the last time I warn you!" snapped Bison again. He went nose to nose with Piccolo, fuming from the nose. Piccolo matched his intensity. Both had to be pulled apart by their respective friends.  
  
"As I was saying," began Zeus again. "I am here for the strongest, but my data has changed since I left on my mission. Now it seems that this boy here, Son Gohan is the strongest. That suits me just fine. I'll recruit the boy instead."  
  
That remark brought Goku in front of his son. He had heard enough. "What makes you think that Gohan is going to join you just like that? Don't try and take him by force, or we will have a misunderstanding."  
  
"I wouldn't dream of it. I simply want to show Gohan a few things in my ship to help him understand the benefits of teaming with my subordinates and myself. If he chooses not to go then he'll be brought back here and we will try with someone else. It's that simple."  
  
"It's never that simple." Piccolo spat on the ground, aiming just outside of Bison's space. "Somehow you have something inside that is going to 'convince' him that he should join you. That's how you plan on getting him. I won't stand by and watch you manipulate Gohan like that. You won't get the chance."  
  
Zeus sighed and snapped his fingers. That provoked movement in the otherwise motionless Hearst. The robed man lifted his head, but yet it was still too far back to be able to get a glimpse of it. It looked like he was staring at Gohan, but there was no way to tell for sure. Gohan tried to look back, but there was nothing to look at. Suddenly his muscles started to tighten, and he wasn't able to move. Goku and Piccolo both noticed this and action was quick. Goku went after Hearst, but was stopped abruptly by Sable. The large woman grabbed Goku by his head and nailed him with a head butt. He staggered back, his vision blurred by the contact. Piccolo gritted his teeth as Bison nonchalantly walked in front of him.  
  
"Oh this will be fun." Bison licked one of his claws. "You have been saved before, but this time there will be no holding me back. I will paint you red."  
  
"I don't think so." Piccolo raised his arms above his head and then threw them down, igniting his chi around him. Bison jumped high into the air and then shot down at him, twisting his body around in a continuously circle and holding his claw out like a drill. Piccolo hopped back to dodge it and Bison hit nothing but dirt. He recovered without hesitation and swiped again. His claw caught a hold of Piccolo's shirt and ripped it to shreds. The mark was in the center of the shirt, so it was still relatively intact. Piccolo became more defensive at that moment and used both his arms to block the next swipe. Bison tried an uppercut and that proved to be an error. Piccolo slipped under the claw and jabbed him in the stomach. Bison's body almost sucked itself in. He crossed his hands over his midsection, gasping for air. That left his chin wide open.  
  
WHAM!  
  
Bison was now airborne and heading for the next country. He landed out of sight. Done with his chore Piccolo looked over at Goku. The Saiyan was handling Sable not to bad. She seemed able to take all of his attacks, but he wasn't even using his Super Saiyan power just yet. That battle was well in hand, so Piccolo went to help Gohan. He was still staring at Hearst, but Piccolo knew it was probably deeper than that. He snatched Hearst up by the collar, half expecting Zeus to interject. He did not, however upon picking up Hearst, Piccolo found that there was nothing there but a robe.  
  
"What the hell?" He threw the robe at Zeus, cursing him silently for the trick. "What are you trying to pull?"  
  
"I'm not trying anything. I've already done what I wanted. I have my fighter. Meet Son Gohan, your destroyer." He motioned over to Gohan. "I can't have you trying to bring him back to the 'force', can I?"  
  
"You will undo what you have done to him, or I will break your spine." Piccolo heightened his chi to show he meant business. "You know you can't fight me. My power is far stronger than yours and all of your lackeys."  
  
"Right now maybe, but that's why I have my other secret weapon."  
  
That didn't sound good. Piccolo didn't like surprises. There wasn't going to be a chance for one. He formed a triangle with his hands and began to form a Soudokan. That's when it happened. Every bit of energy that he had collected over that of his normal level was instantly suppressed. Even some of the start up energy was suppressed. The sudden lost made Piccolo feel uncommonly exhausted and unable to do anything right away. The surprise had been sprung.  
  
"This is a little gadget of mine that I call the S. E. S.. All you have to know is that you are no longer a threat to us. Son Gohan is mine now. We are going to have a little chat to discuss his future with my empire. Don't get involved unless you want to be dealt with in a most brutal manner."  
  
Piccolo let his arms fall to his sides. He had tried with all his might while Zeus was talking to get some sort of spark, some sort of hint of a energy wave that he could use to attack, but the SES did it's job. Piccolo couldn't generate a drop. That meant big trouble. Their chi wasn't only used to attack, but to move as well. Flying was still an option, but not for fighting. Even then it was probably going to be at a very slow speed. Everything would be much slower without the extra boost and as Zeus lifted his large, right hand and it began to glow, Piccolo found out that the machine probably would not affect him or his minions.  
  
End Flashback  
  
"Duck for cover!" yelled Yamcha as he grabbed Gohan on pure instinct and brought him to the ground. A volley of bullets whizzed over their heads, scattering harmlessly in the distance. Both panted loudly as they knew they had just barely slipped out of the way of that attack.  
  
Piccolo had merely ducked down during the attack. The reason was clear as he stood back up. He had simply reached for the shotgun on the floor. He wanted to return the favor. Out almost 100 yards was a group of 20 soldiers. Each one carried a rifle and was armored from head to toe. They split into three groups and branched off. One group went right, another went left, and the last kept on the straight path. All converged on the last spot that they had sited the Z warriors in. Piccolo cocked the gun and aimed at the group on the right.  
  
In about 3 seconds there was no group on the right side. They were replaced with a large crater that smoked with the recent shot fired. The other groups paused for a moment, wondering whether or not to risk being the next one's shot down.  
  
"Yamcha?" asked Gohan. "Why do you use those things?"  
  
Yamcha, for someone who had such feelings of hate for Gohan, was now being much more friendly. "It is the only way to use the stored chi in our bodies. These guns actually rip it from our aura and lodge it inside like bullets. At the same time it fires that bullet, so the reaction is instantaneous. With my pistol it's not a big deal. Piccolo's shotgun, though, takes a lot out of him. He can't use it too often or he might pass out. It doesn't have a strength setting; it's just meant for power."  
  
Piccolo knelt down again. He was tired from using his toy already. "That's all I can manage. There are only two groups left. If we stay low we can take them." He looked dead at Gohan. "This is where we find out where your true colors lie." Without another work Yamcha and Piccolo crawled off, each one heading for a single group. Gohan peeked above the grass for one quick moment to get a count on the number of soldiers. There were 7 in each group. Piccolo had taken out the larger one. That was good. Seeing as how Yamcha and Piccolo had gone after different sides, Gohan decided to head straight down the middle.  
  
One of the soldiers ran up to the leader in the pack. "Captain, we cannot find them. We know that they are in the grass area. They are probably attempting a sneak attack." The captain, not the brightest of the bunch, then decided that splitting up would be the best solution to the problem. Come at them from all sides. If you see them then give a signal. No one was surprised really when the first soldier disappeared without any warning.  
  
"Where are they?" whined another soldier. He was scared out of his mind. It was like an evil force was there to eat them up and they couldn't do anything but wish that they weren't there. He tried to calm himself and search them out, but instead he found 5 more of his comrades missing. Now there were only eight, and it was time to scream. Yamcha made it his place to stop him. He grabbed the man's head and used all his weight and both his hands to ram it into the floor. Even with the armor on the soldier was knocked unconscious.  
  
"There he is." The captain pointed at Yamcha, who was now standing. All of the remaining troops rallied around the captain and aimed their guns at Yamcha. The human didn't move or attempt to escape, but two more soldiers fell just the same. Now Piccolo was right next to the captain. Everyone turned to fire on him... that's when Gohan came from the other side and hit three men with one jump kick. Yamcha rushed in and in a blaze of moves took out three more. With all of the soldiers on the ground the only one left was the captain.  
  
"I am not going to play game with you." Piccolo snatched him up by the collar, but didn't make eye contact. "All I want you to do is to tell me how to get into the SES building. I know that you have the information I need. Tell us how or I'll torture you."  
  
The captain shook all over. He hadn't signed up to be mutilated by Nameks living on earth. "O- okay. I'll talk... just don't kill me."  
  
"If I like what I hear then you won't die."  
  
From the edge of the field a red beam of light emerged. It streaked forward at insane speeds and ripped right through the heart of the cowardly captain. His speech stopped on the spot; all he could sputter was blood. Piccolo dropped the useless carcass on the ground. He had gotten close, but there was someone who didn't want him to get any closer.  
  
"Tsk. Tsk." Teased Sable. She entered the field, walking slowly. "Such a bad captain. He mustn't be giving away any secrets now, should he? What kind of would we live in if he could just say what he wanted?"  
  
"A much better one!" yelled Yamcha. "You wouldn't be in it, that's for sure!"  
  
"You can do something about that now if you wish. You want to fight me? I'm right here. Just give it your best shot. I can break you in half within minutes."  
  
Yamcha began to lose his cool (more so than he already had). His entire body screamed for him to attack, but his common sense told him it was suicide. Still, even just one punch, one solid connection to the chin would satisfy him right now. If only there was a way to survive after that.  
  
"I see you aren't as anxious as you thought you were." Sable lifted her arm and pointed her index and middle fingers at Piccolo. "I'll just give you a reason to react. Tyrants!" As commanded the tyrants appeared from the sky. They were large, man-like machines that reached up to over fifty feet in height each. Their metal bodies were sleek and resembled red fighters in black Saiyan armor. They landed on the ground softly, using their large propulsion packs to slow their decent. In all there were four and that was four too many.  
  
Gohan knew the situation was bad. Normally such machines wouldn't have even been thought of as a challenge. Then again no one would think of having to fight them at such a low power level. Gohan sucked in some air- and ran. Piccolo and Yamcha had the same idea. They cut a path and kept themselves hidden as much as possible. The Tyrants followed after them. They were able to keep pace with the Z warriors, but not just yet able to fire upon them for lack of visual confirmation. That was all about to change as the end of the grass field was upon them.  
  
"Piccolo-" yelled Yamcha.  
  
"I know," he replied, already seeing the danger ahead. "Just get ready."  
  
Gohan mentally prepared himself. He was going to have to step it up a notch to take down the large machines. The edge of the field came up like a bullet and the group found themselves out in the open. Piccolo jumped and spun around in mid air, hoping to fire off a shot at any of the pursuers. The front Tyrant was far too close to allow that. It smacked the gun from his hand and blasted him with a laser from a cannon embedded in its right hand. Piccolo sailed through the air and skidded on the ground after he hit. He flipped over onto his stomach and lay motionless.  
  
"Piccolo!" Gohan ran over to his fallen friend. The second Tyrant fired a blast at him. He was just barely able to get Piccolo and himself out of the way. The blast left a mark on the ground, but nothing and nobody else was affected. Gohan searched quickly for a place to put Piccolo down, but there was none. There were some mountains off in the distance, but he doubted that he could get there. He would need a huge diversion. Gohan placed Piccolo on his shoulder. If he couldn't find a safe place for him then he would have to keep him safe. Yamcha saw this and didn't like it. He pulled out his pistol and took a few shots at the Tyrant closing in on him. It didn't really do anything, but what else could he do?  
  
"What are you doing?" demanded Yamcha.  
  
"Get the gun, Yamcha! That's the only way."   
  
Yamcha looked at the shotgun lying on the floor and understood. It did provide firepower, but the question was if Yamcha had enough in him to power it. He put his pistol away in his holster and dived for the shotgun. One somersault later he was kneeling on the ground with it in his right hand. One of the Tyrants fired another hand laser. It was easily dodged, and now the attacking Tyrant was pegged as the target for the first shot. Gohan moved with Piccolo out of the range of the blast.  
  
KABOOM!  
  
The shot was extremely loud and even bigger than the last one that Piccolo had fired. It tore a hole through the hand that housed the laser and destroyed it. The offending hand also exploded, leaving only wiring and sharp metal in its place. The Tyrant itself, however, was unharmed and continued to function. Worse yet was that Yamcha had a lot taken out of him after he used the shotgun. He could move, but it would only be a matter of time before they grabbed him. After that it was pretty much over. The Tyrants advanced on him; they knew the same thing.  
  
"NOW!" yelled someone from what sounded like underground. Gohan looked around to see if he could locate the person, but just as before he had no luck. All of a sudden the ground in front of Yamcha exploded upward. There was far too much smoke and rock to tell what had caused it, but Gohan could make out a couple of shapes in the area that weren't there before. They moved to the four Tyrants... and then moved back. They converged on Yamcha... and then jumped out at Gohan. With Piccolo on his shoulder it wouldn't be easy to fight them. Gohan hoped it wouldn't come to that.  
  
The two stopped in front of him, smiles on their faces. The one on the right wasn't familiar. The one on the left was. They both wore the same gi. The right was black, and the left was a teal color. Yamcha was with them, or had been dragged by them.  
  
"...Trunks." Gohan was elated to see his friend. So far he had seen Piccolo and Yamcha, but neither seemed happy to see him. Trunks was a different story.  
  
"Gohan... I knew it wasn't true. You couldn't have done those things..." The man on the right nudged him and cleared his throat. "Oops. Sorry. Gohan, this is Hunter. He's part of our resistance." Gohan nodded.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Gohan. Excuse me for a minute." Hunter turned around toward the area where the Tyrants were. They were on the move again, going toward the group's new location. Hunter got his hands around a controller that had been hiding behind him under his belt. He pressed the big red button (you always press the big red button) and that started a light show where the Tyrants had once been.  
  
"What did you do to them?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Nothing much. Just planted some really big explosives on them so that they wouldn't be causing any more trouble." Everyone got a little bit of enjoyment out of that situation, but then all attention turned back to Piccolo. He wasn't in the best of shape.  
  
"Is there anywhere to bring him to help him heal?"  
  
Hunter and Trunks nodded. They pointed to the mountain range and started long jumping there. Yamcha walked over to Gohan. Without a word Gohan gave Piccolo's body to him, understanding that he still was not entirely trusted. Yamcha bounded off, Piccolo in hand.  
  
Gohan stayed behind at first, trying to piece together what he could of the events he had gone through so far. "I was sucked into another world where we can't use our chi energy and I've killed my father. Is this place for real, or am I dreaming? What bizarre things are going to happen next? Will I actually see a double of myself?" Gohan shook his head, clearing away all the weird thoughts. Right now the important thing was Piccolo. After he was safe then Gohan could begin to ask questions. That's when he would finally shed a little light on this mystery.  
  
  
  
  



	2. Episode 2 City Of Hope

Shells and Shadows

Episode 2: City Of Hope

To the Midway                                   Conclusion

                The sky had at some point become calm and sunny, the irony not lost on Gohan.  They had just left a very hostile zone with the Sentinels and the brief appearance of Kale, but now they were amongst the friendly rocks and plant life that made up the mountainsides.  Gohan breathed the sweet air in, letting it fill his lungs.  It tasted just as sweet as it smelled too, so he let his mouth drop open and he closed his eyes.  His senses overflowed with freedom.  It had been a while since he had felt any good about himself.

            "Down here, Gohan," yelled Trunks.  He and Hunter were already on the ground with Yamcha and running around a hill.  Gohan had almost forgotten that he was following them.  One more jump and he would have went right by them.  Correcting his angle Gohan landed only a little off course and was able to recover in seconds.  He tracked them as they bounded over a small stream and stopped in front of a mountain face.

            "...Why are we stopping?" asked Gohan.

            "Just a second... make contact yet, Hunter?"

            He nodded his head, his right hand over his right ear.  "I've got security online.  They are opening the door now.  Time to take a dive, eh?"  Hunter and Trunks ran over to the stream.  Hunter dived in and began swimming to the bottom.

            "Gohan.  Stay here with Yamcha.  Hunter and I will get a recovery crew for Piccolo."  Trunks dived in and disappeared just as quickly as his friend.  That left Piccolo, Yamcha, and Gohan.  Yamcha placed Piccolo on the ground.  Then he walked over to Gohan.  He wasn't happy.

            "Tell me... tell me why you did it."  Yamcha's face was as hard as stone.  Gohan tried to understand why no matter what was said Yamcha didn't seem to trust him.  Whoever his alter ego was in the current would they must have really been horrible.

            "I didn't do it or anything else you think I did.  I don't know what else to tell you."

            Yamcha didn't say anything, but he was almost blowing his top off.  Gohan sighed.  He knew that Yamcha thought he was lying.  It was written all over his face.  It was like he was possessed by a demon of hate that focused all of its rage on Gohan.

            "LIAR!" Yamcha spun around with a hard right hook that smacked Gohan right on the cheek.  His muscles tensed and a low growl rumbled in his throat.  Gohan only backed up, stunned by the attack.  Yamcha began to swing again, but stopped dead in his tracks.  Gohan was more baffled than ever.

            "What is it now?"

            He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.  Yamcha just couldn't put the words together.  In his mind, though, it was all clear to a certain extent.  He knew what he wanted to say, but he couldn't believe it.

            _It can't possibly be... can he really be telling the truth?  Can this Gohan really be from another dimension like he says he is?  I would never have even considered it, especially because the one I know likes to play mind games, but after I had just lost control I can't really make up my mind.  The Gohan I know would have ripped me apart by now.  I almost wished that he would take a shot at me.  Security would pick up the fight and we would have all the force out here in moments.  Even Gohan wouldn't stand a chance with the numbers we have.  This Gohan didn't even get angry.  It's like he really can't understand how I feel.  Maybe... just maybe..._

            Yamcha realized then that he hadn't been controlling the look on his face as well as he should have and that his doubts were starting to peek through.  Gohan smiled weakly, showing that he meant no harm and that he was happy that he wasn't still considered 100 percent guilty.  From the bottom of the stream rose a large, yellow craft.  It was much like a raft, but it had a clear bubble over it.  Two divers came out of the water to load Piccolo onto the raft.  Afterward they deflated it and it sank to the bottom.  Gohan's head lowered until he was staring at the ground in front of him.  He took a few steps and halted.  He looked at Yamcha, who was yet again in battle with himself.

            "Yamcha... I would really like to see if Piccolo is alright... if that is okay with you."

            The sincerity of his voice and question swayed Yamcha even more.  The Gohan he knew couldn't hope to pretend that much... so that was it.  This wasn't the Gohan he knew.  There was no way around that.  That didn't explain where he came from, but it did rule out the tyrant that had put them where they were now.  For now he would take the newbie with him, but he would still be keeping an eye on him.  He would have to visit Bulma first.

            "Just don't do anything stupid.  In here we can kill you..."

            Gohan understood and followed.  They dove into the water and headed toward the city.

**********

            The castle was as ominous as it had ever been.  Dubbed "The Dungeon" by many of the people, it was like something out of a storybook from hell.  It had towers of solid, gray stone reinforced with an alien metal.  The guards patrolling the outside were top notch as well, having been selected as the best of the force and trusted with the protection of Zeus and his home.  The inside was a maze, only traversable by those who knew it best.  Visitors (the few allowed and privileged) had to be led around or they might become lost forever.

            Deep inside, close to the center of the building, laid the chamber of light.  The name would be completely deceiving to all those who didn't know; it was the lair of Gohan.

            "HA!" Hand extended, Gohan fired a blast at a statue in the room.  It was blown to bits with out a problem.  Gohan flipped backward once again rammed his right elbow into yet another statue.  The top half exploded on impact.  He gave a very unsatisfied grunt.  In the far corner of the room another figure appeared, this one larger than the first two.  It was well hidden by shadows, but clearly there.  Gohan eyed it, seething with anger.  "IS THIS THE ONLY CHALLENGE THAT YOU CAN FIND FOR ME?"  A bright, red glow began to envelope his body, starting a blow his gi upward.

            "Warning!" called a computer voice from inside the room.  "Maximum tolerance levels exceeded.  Threat of damage to castle."

            "Aku!" yelled Zeus over the intercom.  "Listen to me.  Calm your power now!"

            Aku (or Gohan) ignored the order and let his power soar.  Fire from his chi danced off of his back and leapt into the air above.  His face was contorted in suffering; both from anger and from the little restraint he was showing.  He didn't wish to use his awesome power on such a meaningless target, but his thirst for a fight was beginning to grow too large for even him to control.  The need for a match with someone of his caliber was uncanny.

            "Aku!  If you destroy the castle then you destroy the generator.  That gives them an advantage.  We don't want them to have an advantage.  It's hard enough to deal with them as it is."

            "Well you had better find me someone to fight soon or else I'm going to have to find that fool you call a fighter, Syther.  I'll have fun rearranging his face with my fist."  Gohan slowly calmed his enormous power down to the normal point.

            "Good."  Zeus sounded pleased.  He had managed to get Aku to calm down again, but his confidence in that ability was wavering a bit.  "Now listen to me, Aku.  I know exactly what you are going through.  I, myself, had the same problem.  This is why I traveled to this planet.  When I found you I knew that you had potential.  The only reason it wasn't being tapped was because the people here on this planet weren't brave enough to bring you to your limits.  Now that you have severed all ties with them you can finally use their efforts to bring you power to another level.  At that point you will be able to finally face me and we will find out who is indeed the strongest."

            "Whatever."  Gohan spat and walked toward the wooden door to the room.  "You had better find me someone to fight.  I don't care if you have to send that pathetic Amazon of a woman to bring me a Prince.  He might not be much sport, but he will be willing.  Bring him here so that I can kill him."

            "Don't forget who you are talking to, Aku.  You may be strong, but you are talking to your master.  Do not step out of line, or I might be forced to put you in your place."  There was a silence then.  Gohan understood, but stood fast in his position.  "Do not worry, Aku.  I will send Syther and a troop of soldiers to capture your prize.  Just stay inside the castle and we will have this taken care of in the next few days."

            "Fine."  Aku stepped out of the room and began to roam the halls.  He so enjoyed scaring all of the commoners and patrolmen.  After the door shut Zeus could be heard breathing a sigh of relief.  He had just dodged a bullet.

**********

            Gohan stood in the middle of the City Of Hope.  Yamcha had led him to the Mermaid's Fountain, which doubled as the entrance to the city.  They surfaced there and were tended to.  After getting dried off and led outside Gohan couldn't do much more than try to keep his mouth from hanging open.

            "..."

            Yamcha smiled at Gohan's facial expression.  In front of them was an entire underground city covered by what seemed to be a glass dome.  The most impressive thing that Gohan noticed immediately was the sun.  What should not have been at all visible under at least 100 feet of dirt and rock was plain as day in the sky above.

            "...Yamcha... this... this is incredible.  How did you build this in such a short amount of time?"

            "Necessity." His head hung low as the memories began to resurface.  "There were so many of them... we couldn't stop them all.  We held off as many as we could to get the people to the mountains.  We found that we were stronger there."  Yamcha sat on the edge of the Fountain, resting his head in his hands.

            "You built this to protect the people."  That was a concept that deeply touched Gohan.  It wasn't that he didn't believe that Yamcha was capable of doing something so thoughtful and meaningful.  It was just that he just couldn't believe that given the circumstances they decided to save the people before fighting back.  Not only that but they had found a way to construct things quickly.

            "The people needed to be hidden.  That's all we did.  The City Of Hope was constructed to keep the people from being detected by the Doomsday squads.  If you venture outside of the city and are caught by one of the squads then you are arrested.  After being brought back to the castle they put you to work."

            "Put you to work doing what?"

            "We don't know."  The wind whistled and Yamcha lifted his head to peer at the sky.  "We are trying to find that out.  It's something big, though.  That much is for certain.  Security has gotten tighter around the outer limits and especially near the castle.  I used to be able to spy inside, but now even I can't get there.  If we were only able to destroy that damn generator..."

            Something had been bothering Gohan as he learned more and more about the universe that he was in.  Zeus and his minions seemed to be in control of everything around.  That much was certain.  The question plaguing Gohan was how all his Zeus' people were able to stay so strong with the generator on.

            "I know what you are thinking," interrupted Yamcha.  "Zeus has a magician.  He uses powerful magic to shield everyone working for Zeus from the power of his generator.  That's why they can use their chi and we cannot.  That is also why we have to destroy the generator.  We can beat them if we can use our full power."

            "Are there any weapons here that can used to destroy the generator?"

            Yamcha shook his head and sighed.  "Right now Piccolo uses the only weapon we are able to get even within firing range, but he wouldn't be able to do enough damage.  They've hidden the most vital parts to the generator inside the building.  Firing from the outside wouldn't do much of anything besides letting them know that we were there."

            "...Maybe..."

            "What?"

            Gohan's face brightened up as the idea surfaced.  It was perfect, or so it seemed at first.  Either way it was worth a shot.  "Maybe that's what we should do."

            "What are you trying to pull?  Piccolo wouldn't have a chance at destroying that thing from the outside.  He'd have to-" That's when he figured it out.  The plan was good.  It hadn't been tried before and that would give it a chance to succeed.

            "Piccolo attacks the front side of the building with some back up.  We can deplete the forces inside the building by having them try to stop him.  While the others are occupied we go inside and destroy the generator with some type of explosive.  After that we storm the castle and deal with Zeus."

            "Gohan... that's the best plan I've heard in a while.  The only problem is that we are going to have to wait until Piccolo recovers.  He's probably exhausted from that attack.  It shouldn't be too long.  In the meantime I'm going to show you something.  There is someone here that will want to meet you..." In a surprise move Yamcha actually smiled at Gohan.  "She's really missed you."

            That was a dead giveaway, and Gohan was beaming in anticipation.  The two walked through the city and past by the many buildings.  Many of the people that they past stopped whatever they were doing to watch.  They all seemed to think they knew Gohan, but none of them could put their finger on how.

            "Yamcha... why is everyone staring at me like that?"

            "I'll tell you later.  Now is not a good time.  Just follow me.  I'm going to show you our first, last, and only defense against attack."  Yamcha halted and Gohan stood next to them.  They had covered a large amount of ground in a small amount of time.  Before them stood a large dome structure, made of a type of silver metal.  Its width was only about fifty yards, but the height reached to the top of the actual dome covering the city.  Gohan was truly awestruck by the height of it.  It reminded him of Kami's Lookout.

            "So what is this place, Yamcha?"

            "This is our sanctuary of Hope and Protection.  This is where the battle starts to keep this place a secret and to keep it safe.  This building provides a blanket over the dome, which makes it impossible to detect by the normal means.  In order for Zeus and his henchmen to find us they would have to come here on their own, in person.  If they did so our sensors would detect them and we would be able to retaliate.  Being this far from the generator we can actually beat them, so they are too scared to actually do anything."

            "That's helpful.  That means you don't have to worry about them attacking all of the time.  They don't know where you are and even if they did you would be able to drive them away anyway."  The Saiyan walked toward the dome.  Directly in front of him was the door.  It was normal size, but thick and heavy.  It had no handle, only a keypad.

            "Security... just in case."  Yamcha stepped up and punched in some numbers with his back to Gohan.  The door hissed as it began to open.  The force of the escaping air made Gohan cover his eyes.  It was intense.  All he could think about as the door slowly opened was that there had to be something pretty special behind it for there to be so much protection outside of it.  It wouldn't be too long until he found out.

**********

            "He said what?!"  Syther yelled at the top of his lungs.  He was so enraged at what he had just heard that he couldn't figure out how best to release his anger.  Unable to do rationalize anything he simply rammed his head into the nearest wall.  It hurt, but it helped him rationalize things a bit more.

            "Syther, calm down" called the voice of Zeus.  He was ignored.

            "The child dares to challenge Syther.  I will rip a hole into his heart and drain his blood onto his own corpse!  Where is he now?!"  Syther began looking for the door to his room, which he had misplaced in his recent outburst.

            "Syther!"

            The slender man froze in place and paid attention.  When Zeus was angry you listened, less you want to be thrashed.  "I am sorry, Lord Zeus.  I lost my head for a moment.  Please accept my most humble apologies."  Syther bowed, showing his sincerity.

            "I accept you apologies, Syther, but do not let your emotions get the best of you again.  You are one of my warriors now.  You must show a level of control.  Now I want you to listen carefully.  It is no secret that we have been unsuccessful in finding the rebels base of operations.  That has been our one failure."

            "Yes, Lord Zeus.  If you wish I will take a squad of-"

            "NO!  Syther.  I want you to understand something.  I consider you my most valuable warrior.  You instincts in battle are second only to my own, and your loyalty is never in question.  While Son Gohan may be stronger, he is not nearly as reliable as you are.  I will send Kale with a squad of foot soldiers into the area where they last fought the rebels.  You will take a handful of our elites and tail them.  You are not to fight, understood?"

            "Yes, sire.  I am to follow Kale in hopes that I can observe the rebel's retreat and find their place of hiding, correct?"

            "Yes.  When we do you are to report your results to me."

            Syther bowed once more.  "I will prepare at once."

            "Good.  It is time to put an end to this rebel threat."

**********

            The inside was one spacious room that more resembled the size of a football stadium.  A large and thick column of metal supported the middle.  It didn't look too sturdy, but whatever it was it did look very vital to the entire building.  Below that point, near it's origin in the floor there was a large structure, over 40 feet tall.  Gohan's head almost caused him to fall backward as he tilted it backward in order to get a better view.

            "Impressive, isn't it?" mention Yamcha.  He, himself, was staring at it.  It didn't matter how many times Yamcha went into the room.  He was always stunned by what had been constructed.

            "What... is it?"  His fingers reached out, wanting to touch it.  It had a dull glow about it that gave it a heavenly presence.  It was hi-tech at its best.  Gohan had to get a closer look.  He jogged up to it, stopping more than once to look at it again in awe.  He reached a point where he had to stop to be able to see the top of the machine.

            "You'll see.  Are you there...Bulma?"

            Gohan whipped his head around back to Yamcha.  "Bulma?"  There was a bright flash right after while he still had his head turned.  It was a blue hue and it died down quickly.  Gohan noticed a smile on Yamcha's face unlike he had seen before.

            "She's been waiting a long time for you to come back, you know."

            Gohan was confused.  On top of the structure was a... an angel.  Her body was transparent blue, emanating from the machine below.  Her hair was long and gently floating in a breeze that Gohan never felt.  Her face did seem familiar, but the rest of her did not.  She had no life force; it was like she was a ghost.

            "Gohan...welcome home."

            "..."  There was no denying it now; it was Bulma.  Her voice hadn't changed one bit.  But at the same time this wasn't Bulma.  She wasn't real.  It was like a projection of her in a way that she had never been.  Nothing seemed to make any sense right now.

            "Gohan... I know you are confused." Her heavenly voice seemed to echo softly through the room.  It was so completely soothing.  Gohan knew he had nothing to fear.  "I am Bulma.  That may not make any sense to you, but it is true.  When Zeus arrived with his fighters we were forced to build this city in a hurry.  This building that you are currently in was the first project and the most important.  This is what keeps us alive.  This building generates the shield that keeps Zeus' forces from detecting us.  The people hear can live in a state of peace while behind this wall."

            "Bulma... why are..."  Gohan had so many questions.  Ever since the portal incident he had never really had a chance to find out what happened.  There were so many people that he still didn't know the status of.  Things were just so weird.

            "When we first tried to activate this computer it was a disaster.  The CPU couldn't keep up with all the changes that had to be made.  It didn't know what to do.  An upgrade was needed, but Zeus had already sent out his search parties to find us.  We needed something to get our barrier working fast or else we wouldn't survive the onslaught.  Millions of lives where at stake.  That's when I made the decision."

            This wasn't sounding good.

            "Against the advice of everyone, including Yamcha, I used a technique that I had been working with to fuse my personality and thoughts into the CPU's brain.  With the copy of myself downloaded I can constantly fix problems that may arise and not worry about getting tired."

            Yamcha hung his head and took a deep breath.  Listening to the story over again wasn't something that he would have asked for.  "Gohan... Bulma basically sacrificed herself to save everyone... we were afraid that you would come back to try to kill us before we were able to regroup and find out exactly what to do about this invasion.  Bulma is in charge of keep up the barrier that helps us avoid detection by any of their scouters.  That is how we are able to live hear at all."

            "Have I caused so much pain in this world...?" A single tear dripped down his cheek.  Gohan had heard so much about his alter ego in the world that he now resided.  It was now at the point where he was going to have to deal with this person himself.  Whatever Gohan had forced Bulma into that prison was going to have to deal with him.

            "It's not all lost hope, Gohan.  Bulma's body is preserved in another place in the city.  As long as we keep her safe here we can reinsert her back into her body.  The only thing keeping us from doing that is... you."

            "...Yamcha," started Gohan, "I don't think you are going to have to worry about that anymore.  We are going to destroy that generator and I am going to fight my alter ego myself.  I'll put a stop to this madness.  Once Piccolo is ready we'll head out and end this."

            Yamcha shook his head.  "I wish it were possible, but it is not.  Piccolo could create a diversion, but not a big enough one himself.  We would need another person to be there with him.  Someone as strong or stronger.  You can't do it because we would need you inside.  Unless we can get another person to fight it is all a lost cause."

            "Who is left to fight, Yamcha?"

            "Tenshinhan is still here in the city.  He hasn't done too much lately.  He lost Chaotzu a few days ago to an infantry unit.  The two of them were cornered in a building.  They both jumped out a window, but Chaotzu was too slow.  Tenshinhan nearly went ballistic, managing a blast of energy that wiped out the entire squad.  Since then, though, he hasn't seen any reason to fight."

            "Who else is left?"

            "Krillan is teaching a school.  He can help.  Androids 17 and 18 would help if we could get to them.  Then there is Vegeta."

            "Vegeta is still here?  That's great!  He'll be a great help!"

            "... I doubt it.  He's still upset about Bulma's decision.  He doesn't do anything but train and meditate now.  I don't think we could get him to do anything unless he was sure that we had a chance.  Up until now we haven't."

            "Damn it!"  Gohan's power sparked quickly on and off.  He had forgotten he was in a delicate room.  He was so used to being suppressed that he wasn't ready for his power to show itself like it did.  That's when it hit him.

            Yamcha knew that Gohan had something up his sleeve.  The look was on his face.  "What is it?"

            "Have you tried to fire any blasts from here?"

            "What?!  Fire energy from here?  Gohan, it's not like we have a cannon on board just waiting to shoot down enemies.  We would have to-" Yamcha then understood.  Gohan was talking about chi, and Yamcha knew that none of them would have had the strength for that to make a difference... that was until Gohan arrived.  Vegeta might have been able to make it happen, but what would they do after?  Vegeta would not agree to anything unless it was a full plan.  Gohan was willing to try anyway.  He ran back to the entrance way and the doors opened automatically.  Moving at super speed he went from the building to outside of the dome in only a couple of seconds.  In a flash he was in the air, moving away from their hiding place.  If things didn't go right he didn't want to lead them right to their last fortress.  Once he had put enough distance between himself and the others he stopped.

            "Gohan!" yelled Yamcha.  He caught up with the Saiyan and smiled.  "If you are going to go through with this I want to help.  I'll donate as much of my chi as I can so that you can push it a little farther and a little faster."

            "Thank you, Yamcha."  The desert bandit had finally accepted the fact that the Gohan was not the Gohan that had killed Goku.  That was yet another reason why Gohan was going to try the attack.  Coming to the alternate dimension had been a blessing in disguise as Gohan would be able to talk to his dead father again.  In his time Cell had done the deed, but in this world his own self had killed Goku.  That wasn't forgivable.  Gohan had a bit of revenge on his mind, and he was going to see to it that it worked.  Gohan cupped his hands at his side.   Yamcha did the same.  At the distance there were from the generator they were able to gather their chi rather quickly.

            "I'm ready whenever you are."

            A flash of gold surrounded Gohan for a second before he ascended to SSJ 2.  Yamcha was nearly blown away by the force, but stood his ground.  He now had a stern look on his face.  He was all business.  "Kaaaaaa..."

            A blue ball of energy appeared in both of their hands.  Yamcha strained to put everything in it that he had.  "Meeeeeeeeeee..."

**********

            Aku was really getting pissed.  Things couldn't be more boring.  He really needed someone to spar with, or kill.  Either would be fine for him as long as it was something.  He didn't like just standing around.  Aku paced his room one more time.

            "That's it!"  He busted out the door and started flying through the castle halls.  Soon he found himself outside.  He was about to look for a couple of guards to kill when he felt it.  Something out in the distance.  It was someone's chi, and it was rising.  Aku had felt it many times before, but not from this source.  This source was new, but more importantly than that was that it was very strong.  It was the strongest that Aku had ever felt.  It...rivaled his own.

            "That can't be!" he yelled.  "No one can be as strong as I am.  NO ONE!"  Aku levitated into the air and cupped his hands at the side.  "Who ever it is won't be training for long... I'll destroy them with one blast!"  Aku fired up his chi and began to generate a great deal of it in his hands.

            "All I had to do was walk outside and now I have my fight... pity I'll never know who it was."

**********

            It hadn't been there a second ago, but somehow a power had risen in the distance.  Gohan didn't recognize it, but Yamcha did.  He lost all concentration and his power went back to zero.  Fear had taken control of his body.  Gohan saw that and knew it was his alter ego.

            _It's him.  Yamcha knows it is.  Now I know where he is.  I should challenge him, but I can't do that where he is.  If I fight there he'll destroy me.  Maybe I can draw him out here._

            Gohan ceased his beam power up and began focusing more on building his chi to a higher level.  If his alter ego was like him he would understand.  Yamcha, still shaking with fear, knew what Gohan was trying to accomplish.  He didn't say anything; instead he made his way back to the city in hopes of finding a way to help.

**********

            "He can't be serious!"  Aku stared into the distance where the power was coming from.  The shift in chi was very apparent and Aku knew what was going on.  He was being called out.  A fit of rage was boiling inside of him.  How anyone could challenge him was insane.  Aku began to raise his own power to match that of his adversary.  He gritted his teeth as he realized that he was playing catch up.  Whomever he was getting ready for was already at their top fighting potential.

            "No way!  He's as strong as I am!"  That pushed him over the edge.  His chi glowed brightly around him and erupted into the air like fire.  He blasted off, sending shock waves back at the structure behind him.

            "I'm going to tear this guy apart.  No one tries to make me look weak!"

**********

            "Hmm... here he comes."  Gohan was calm.  His power was at an all time high and was violent surrounding him, but Gohan himself made little more than a peep.  His alter ego was now coming for him, which meant a hasty retreat was in order.  The worry was that the fight might somehow damage the city meant to protect the survivors.  More distance wouldn't hurt.  He flew backward through the air, keeping his eye on the spot where his opponent would appear.

            _He should be here in less than a minute going at the speed he's going.  I don't know how this fight will turn out, though.  If he really is me... how can we hope to fight each other?  Won't we know what the other is thinking before he does it?  Will it end up and us just killing each other... does is even matter?  In both worlds, his and mine, dad has died because of us.  Even if all I can do is sacrifice myself to beat him..._

            "There he is."  Gohan narrowed his eyes as Aku came into view.  He wasn't slowing down either.  Gohan barely got his hands up before the first attack struck.

Conclusion

The two superpowers go head to head, Gohan and Aku, start their fight.  Being that they are both the same person the outcome is impossible to predict.  Bulma has made the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the city, and that is a driving point for all of the fighters.  This one's ready to heat up!

Next Episode: A Fight To Remember


	3. Episode 3 A Fight To Remember

**Shells And Shadows**

**Episode 3: A Fight To Remember**

To The Midway Conclusion

"What did you say, Yamcha?" Tenshinhan couldn't believe his ears. If what Yamcha was saying wasn't just his wild imagination, then two Gohans were fighting just outside of the base. That couldn't be, as there can't be two of anyone (other than split form).

"It's true, Tien! We have to go and help Gohan. This might be our best chance yet to get rid of that evil Saiyan for good."

Tenshinhan mumbled something to himself, thinking it over. Whether or not it was their best chance was debatable, but on such short notice all they really could do is mount an attack. With Aku being the enemy, how could they hope to compete?

"Yamcha. I don't know what's going on, but I think you might be right. We have to take the chance now. If we don't we might now get another one. To be safe we'll take the mountain range exit to avoid detection. We don't want to give away the location of the base under any circumstances."

"Right." Yamcha nodded. His body tensed with excitement as he felt the end to a long war coming. "Now all we need is -"

"All you need is the Namek." Piccolo interjected from behind. He was dressed and ready to go, but he still looked a bit drained.

"Piccolo!… you don't look like you are going to last too long."

Piccolo laid a hand on Yamcha's shoulder. "If this truly is the last battle, I'll be just fine. Don't think you can keep me laying in a bed at a time like this." He looked up, sensing the chi that was the two combatants. "Just remember; this may be the last battle for us as well. Don't let your minds wander. Stay focused or stay here."

"Smart words," said Tenshinhan. "No doubt you're ready. I'm sure we could talk about this for a long time, but I think it's time to get into position. We don't want to miss our chance to attack.

Piccolo and Yamcha nodded in agreement. The trio set off running for the city exit in hopes of ending everything in one shot.

A small man dressed in a blacked, hooded robe walked through the main throne room door Zeus' castle. His knee's chattered beneath his garb and he shook all over. No one ever wanted to have to bring Zeus news. His whims to kill his messengers at the blink of an eye caused all the fear him on sight. The unlucky soul was charged with the duty this time. His only hope was to live through it.

Zeus sat on his throne, holding an orb of black energy in his hand. He studied it, marveling at its perfection. He watched as a small, dim light inside tried to escape, but was unable to. It amused him that this light, surrounded by so much darkness, refused to give in and die out. Then he noticed the messenger. Slightly annoyed, he closed his hand, crushing the orb. The messenger had to muster all of his strength to keep from running away.

"Sire."

"What is it, you sniveling fool? Can you not see that I am busy!?" Zeus pounded the armrest on the chair. He loved scaring the pants off of the messengers. It was the only bright spot in his day at times.

"Sire… um… we have just gotten word that Aku has left the castle."

"…" Zeus stood up from his throne. That was a bad sign. He approached the messenger.

"Please sire, there is more! We have also received word that he is fighting another who seems to be just as strong as he is!" The man covered his head; foolishly thinking that any kind of defense he had would prevent Zeus from killing him. However the blow never came.

"Did you say that this fighter is as strong as he is? Who is he?"

The man stood back up, feeling a bit more confident. "We do not know yet, sire. The computer readout says that the fighter is Aku."

"Aku. Who is Aku fighting?"

"Sire… the computer says that Aku is fighting Aku."

"Honey, I'm home!" yelled Aku as he fired in from out of nowhere. Gohan blocked the first punch and returned with one of his own to the face. Aku blocked that and then jumped back. For the first time he was able to get a look at his adversary. For the first time he realized it was himself. "You're me."

Gohan only stared at him, his own anger starting to build. Memories of his father began to fill his head. All he could think of was that this boy, the one that looked like him, talked like him, and at one time acted like him, was directly responsible for the death of Goku in this dimension.

"The rebels have gone into cloning… I don't know how they managed to do it, but it doesn't matter. You won't be around long enough to make a difference."

"I am not a clone. My name is Son Gohan. I may not have come from this world, but that does not make me any less real. I will be you nightmare. You killed my father in this world. Now I will make you pay. This insanity ends now."

"Listen to yourself!" Aku made himself very rigid, mimicking a robot. "I'm am Son Gohan. I am your nightmare." Aku faced Gohan again. "You don't think you actually have a chance, do you?"

Gohan smirked. "You felt my chi when I powered up, didn't you? You know that I not only have a chance, but that my power is equal to that of yours. The question is who is the better fighter. I know that I have trained hard to defeat Cell. You've probably been slacking off."

"Hmmm…" Aku zanzokened from his position and reappeared right in front of Gohan, the back of his fist gently touching Gohan's nose. "I must be pretty good for a slacker."

"Not good enough." A stern look crossed his face. Gohan zanzokened away, not to reappear. Aku silently waited, listening and feeling.

"There!" Aku pounced on the spot where Gohan appeared. Just as he was about to get his hands on him Gohan shifted. Aku floated by harmlessly and Gohan rammed an elbow into his back. Aku stopped his momentum only to take another foot to the back of the head. Aku flipped over to so he was facing up and fired a beam at Gohan… who was no longer there.

BOOM!

A thunderous crash as Gohan's knee was blocked by Aku's arm. The two stopped in mid-air, staring at each other.

"You think you have the advantage, clone?" Aku smiled. "Well I haven't even started yet." Aku spun around and nailed Gohan in the face with an elbow. He grabbed Gohan's leg, pulled him down while shooting up at same time, and head butted him under the chin. Gohan staggered back, holding his jaw. Aku kept the pressure on with a few chi blasts. Gohan avoided them without problems.

_He's good. It's going to take a lot more thought to beat him. _Gohan brushed aside the next blast and returned with one of his own. It missed, but Gohan knew what he was doing. He lunged through the air, arm cocked back. He hadn't expected Aku to copy his move, diving sideways with his knee curled low. Gohan took the hit to the face and Aku raised his leg to apply more pressure. The Saiyan's neck snapped back, temporarily blacking him out. When he came two he was in the iron grip of Aku, who was holding him in the air, choking him.

"Well… this turned out exactly the way I expected." Aku tightened his hold on Gohan's neck, closing off all airflow. "It's a shame really. I thought a clone of myself would have put up a much better fight. You'd think those rebels could have managed that. Instead I find myself bored once again. Maybe I should just snap your neck."

"I… don't… think… so." Gohan weeded his hands in between Aku's arms to get leverage. With one swift move he parted the hold on his throat. Feeling instant relief and more power than he had in the seconds prior, Gohan jammed both of his fists simultaneously into Aku's stomach. It caved in, devoid of air. Gohan pulled out his right fist and slammed it in again, this time hitting a rock hard surface. Aku's stomach had nowhere to go. Gohan repeated with the left and allowed Aku to fall over slightly and grasp at the empty space where his belly should have been.

"…"

"You aren't too bad now. Nothing to say. How about this? Kaaaaa…."

Aku's eyes were as wide as saucers now. This wasn't the way he wanted to go.

**Flashback**

"Gohan!" Goku brushed off his upper lip with his wrist guard. It was bleeding. Not seriously, but enough to tell him to be careful. It was disturbing that his own son had hit him. If they were training Goku wouldn't have thought twice about it, but others were challenging them. Now Gohan was towering over him with a very serious tone to his face.

"You've held me down for long enough, Dad!"

"What are you talking about, Gohan? This isn't the time for arguing!" Goku began to stand up but Gohan pushed him back to the ground with an energy ball. The pain of what was happening seared Goku's heart more than that ball did his chest. He wasn't Einstein, but he knew the magician had somehow screwed with his sons mind. That wasn't going unpunished. "You-"

"No." That was the only warning. Seconds later Goku was eating the ground, Gohan towering over him again. Zeus looked on approvingly. Everyone else was preoccupied. Piccolo couldn't possibly keep up with Syther and help Goku at the same time. The Super Saiyan was all by himself to face an alien being of unknown origin, and his own son who had turned on him.

"Why…? Why would you…?" He planted his hands into the ground to brace himself. The attack had been quick but relentless. Even now his elbows began to buckle.

Gohan step forth and rested his feet on his father's hands, showing no remorse. He never offered an explanation. All he could think of was how his father had done so little to help advance his power. Why was it that Goku had been so much stronger before when even he believed Gohan's potential to be greater than his? Because he was jealous! Rage renewed, Gohan cupped his hands at his side. "Ka…"

Piccolo dodged Syther's claw yet again. The fighter was good, but not good enough to keep up with Piccolo. The Namek waited for the opening he so desperately needed. With Syther attacking so viciously he was bound to leave it sooner or later. It came with another claw slash at the face. Piccolo raised his fist and rolled around it, smacking Syther with a well-placed backhand. He slipped his arm over Syther's, extended it, and then rammed it into Syther's chest. Piccolo jabbed him in the chin and grabbed him by the hair.

"Don't waste my time with your ignorance. A weapon doesn't make you any better of a fighter."

"Jerk. My friend will taste your blood before the day- Arrgggh!"

Piccolo made sure that he directed Syther's face right into the point of his knee just as he was getting on a roll. _Maybe that will shut him up._

"HAAAAAA!" In the distance there was a large explosion that stopped everyone in their tracks. Piccolo lost all concentration, staring at the spot where his biggest rival had been, fighting his son. Reality tore through him, inciting rage from beyond.

"Son!"

"You should never take your eyes off of your prey." Syther's super speed took full force. He sprung off of Piccolo's knee and flipped in mid-air. Piccolo knew he made a grave mistake. His wide eyed look turned into pain as Syther descended to the earth with an earth shattering howl, slashing a deep cut into Piccolo's chest.

The initial blast had subsided. The first figure visible was Zeus, his imposing form protected by a barrier. The approving look still crossed his façade. Whatever had happened he was happy. The next person visible was Son Gohan himself. He wasn't the same as before. He reeked of evil now, his own energy light-years over that of Cell or Frieza. Then there was Son Goku…

Piccolo fell to both of his knees, breathing hard. Syther stood in front of him, staring. He knew he had the match all but won and needed only to finish Piccolo off.

"You, Namek, are not worthy of a death by me. Be gone!" Syther rolled up his fist on his claw hand and jabbed his palm into Piccolo's chest. It released an enormous amount of electrical energy that tore through Piccolo's nervous system. In moments the pain was too great for him and he passed out.

The young Saiyan couldn't bear to look at the corpse. It wasn't that he felt any sympathy for his father now. Instead he couldn't bring himself to understand the jealousy that had plagued his father and upset his possible training. Was Goku's ego so large that he would not allow his only son to advance past him?

Zeus approached Gohan and laid his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Understand, Gohan, that this is only the first step in what you must do to obtain that which you want. You will need to obliterate all of the fighters on this planet to raise your chi to a higher level. Once all competition on this planet is destroyed you will be able to challenge the best in the universe. You will accompany me as I travel to other worlds and you will witness the greatest battles in history. All competitors will welcome you and you, Son Gohan, will have the fights that you crave.

Gohan couldn't be happier. The memory of his father was already washed from his mind as he thought over Zeus' proposition. Killing all of the fighters on the planet would not be a problem. After all, his father was the second strongest next to him. Gohan began thinking of the things he could do to Krillan, Tien, and even ChiChi. Vegeta would be the most fun, since it was he that wanted to kill Goku. Oops.

Syther was now in front of the two, kneeling in front of Zeus.

"Have you finished the Namek?"

"To an extent, sire. I have labeled him and humiliated him. He will not be a problem. I thought it might be a good idea to allow Son Gohan to finish him. A thorough job, if you will."

Zeus nodded. "Good thinking, Syther. Son Gohan, one of your "friends" is waiting for you. Do see that he dies."

Gohan scoured the area with his eyes, looking for his target. "And where is he?"

Syther whipped around, disbelieving his ears and eyes. Somehow Piccolo had not only survived his Venom Strike, he had also gotten away. Embarrassment and rage filled up inside of him, but Zeus negated it.

"Forget him, Syther. He will be dealt with at a later time. Let us now return home." Gohan and Syther nodded and began to walk away, leaving the smoldering body of Goku to rot.

**End Flashback**

"Haaaaa…." Son Gohan continued to power up. His muscles tensed with energy and power. Aku still couldn't breath. He could barely retreat. At the rate he was going Aku would be only about 20 yards away before Gohan fired the Kamehameha wave. In his slightly weakened state it could do big damage… possibly kill him.

"...Damn…" Aku gripped at his stomach. If only he hadn't taken that blow. What the hell could he do now to avoid the blast?

"Meeeee…"

"Siiiiyyyaaaaaaaaa!" A black streak came down without warning, pushing Gohan slightly aside as he prepared to release the beam. The beam came out with unimaginable force, but the intervention was enough to push it off mark. Aku, feeling much better than he did before, was jammed on the left side with the blast, but he turned away just as it hit, thus losing the brunt of the damage. It was still enough to send him into an uncontrollable spin toward the earth.

Gohan made sure than Aku had hit the ground before turning his attention to the assailant. They had seemed to disappear, but Gohan wasn't about to take that chance. He continued to look around.

On the ground Aku staggered to his feet. His head was reeling, having used to stop his fall. That Kamehameha wave was no joke, even only nipping him it still had done a lot of damage. If Gohan was that much better than him…

"That little runt won't make a fool of me! I'll destroy him. He'll never see it coming. I'll slowly store enough energy for a mega blast and I'll lure him in."

"Sounds good to me..." Aku turned around, right into Piccolo. The Namek had to fingers pointed at Aku's chest. "Makankosappo." The beam, shot at such close range to the weakened Aku, had no problem penetrating his body. It missed the heart, but it hurt like hell. Aku clumsily hit the ground, now groping at his chest.

"You bastard!"

Tien and Yamcha walked up at that moment. They both smiled at the sight. Aku was helpless on the ground. He hadn't even been in the fight for long before he fell. It didn't matter to them. The fact that he was done was more than good enough.

"So you don't seem like you are all that strong," said Yamcha. "Guess you couldn't handle Gohan."

"I think it's time to finish this," said Tien. "We don't want to give him any chance to get away." Yamcha nodded.

"Right. Let's-" Everything seemed to fade out of existence for Yamcha at that moment. Black swirls surrounded him, becoming darker and darker until he saw nothing. At some point he could actually feel himself crashing to the ground. Tien could see the damage done to his friend, but could do nothing of it as he took a shot to the stomach and then one to the back that nearly paralyzed him.

"Who is that?!" yelled Piccolo, cursing to himself for not being more careful. A figure zanzokened briefly in front of him. It was so quick that Piccolo barely made out anything of a feature besides it was wearing black.

CRACK!

Had the intention been to break his neck, Piccolo could have been killed without another thought, but the idea was simply to render him unconscious. He lay on the floor in that state. The person responsible never came into view, and was gone as quickly as they arrived.

Gohan gave up on his search. The only thing he could do was to simply try to end Aku before anything else happened. Toward the ground he found the prone Aku, still pretty much out of commission. Then he saw Piccolo, Tien, and Yamcha close by, none of which were moving. It didn't make sense. Gohan descended to the ground to get a closer look. The others were breathing fine, so it probably wasn't Aku that had floored them.

_Things are just getting more and more strange. Everyone looks like they just got beat up, but Aku's in just as bad shape. He couldn't have done it. So it must be whoever tried to stop me from killing him that took out Piccolo and the others. It seems like they might be trying to help out the bad guys, but if they had such an easy time defeating everyone, why would they bother to let anyone live? Something just isn't adding up. I'll have to figure it out later, though. Right now I have to get these guys back to the City before they are spotted. I've already proven I can beat Aku. Now we have a chance to win._

Gohan leaned over and picked up Yamcha and Tenshinhan. Piccolo groaned once on the ground, bringing a bit of relief over Gohan. Carrying three wasn't possible and he didn't want to leave the Namek defenseless. If he were at least coming to then he would be okay for a few minutes.

"Piccolo, I'll be back in just a second. I need to bring these to back to the City so they can be healed." Gohan flew off in the direction of the river entrance, being the only one he really knew. Piccolo pushed himself to his knees, and then to his feet. He had had a pretty long day.

_I don't know who that person was, but they have immeasurable speed. They way they attacked there was little time or opportunity to detect them. That warrior… didn't kill me. I felt a hard blow to the back of my neck that was meant to render me unconscious… why? _Piccolo rubbed the spot where he had been hit. It kind of hurt a little bit.

"I think I should be getting back inside."

"I don't think I can allow you to do that, Namek." Kale bellowed from the direction Gohan had just gone in. "That just wouldn't do. Your friend Gohan will lead us right to the rebel base!"

Piccolo's eyes widened. Someone was tailing Gohan. If Gohan made it back to the base that person would know where the river entrance was. That would blow their entire secret. Piccolo couldn't have that.

"So, Piccolo. I suppose you want to stop me and get to Gohan and blah, blah, blah. Anything heroic to say before you start."

There was nothing but the sound of Piccolo's foot pushing Kale's face to the side most violently. The momentum carried her about a foot away. Piccolo took that chance to get moving toward the base, but Kale grabbed his ankle and lead him into the ground. For good measure she also jumped onto the base of his back. A silent yelp crept out of his mouth.

"That's for underestimating me."

"Don't worry." Piccolo said, looking her right in the eyes. "I won't let that happen again." He methodically rose to his feet. Kale cracked her knuckles and widened her stance. There was a bit of bounce to her step now.

"I think he's ready!" A wave of yellow energy began to flow over her right fist. She cocked her right arm back, waiting. "Let's dance."

Piccolo rubbed his back briefly and was ready.

"Hiya!" Kale attacked with a chop that created a massive energy wave. Piccolo almost didn't react to it, having easily avoided the initial attack. The wave continued on for about twenty feet before dying out. Kale, grabbing the opportunity, gave him a well-placed roundhouse kick to the face. Piccolo landed awkwardly, his right cheek hitting first and his body ending up with his back to the ground. No chance to rest as Kale rocketed down with a double foot stomp. The Namek rolled out of the way, using one hand to push himself off of the floor and to his feet. He dashed forward and tried a similar chop that Kale had. It was dodged, but she ran right into a high knee that impacted her forehead. Kale made one complete flip before hitting the ground. Then, in an unexpected move, Kale lunged forward in an animal-like fashion, growling like a tiger. Her speed won over and she tackled Piccolo to the ground. The moment he tensed his muscles to power his way up Kale dug her nails into his arms.

"Damn it!" cried Piccolo, shivering from the searing pain. Kale pushed in a little harder, digging deeper into Piccolo's skin.

"Guess you don't have what it takes after all. Maybe I should just tear your arm off." Kale began to move her fingers around inside of Piccolo's arms, making the pain all the more unbearable. Piccolo couldn't block it out enough to attempt a counter with his legs. Kale leaned in closer so that she was almost nose-to-nose with him. She also placed a knee in his stomach to add insult to injury.

"This fight isn't over yet. Don't think you've won."

"Maybe I have."

Piccolo detected a slightly different tone in her voice that time. It was strange. Although she had him pinned to the ground for ample amount of time, she neither tried to kill him or torture him. It reminded Piccolo of the second Gohan, one that was completely different from the one he knew. The only difference was that this was the real Kale.

"Get to the point!"

"Gladly." Kale pushed into Piccolo's arms just a little bit more, making sure he wasn't going to move. Then she performed a handstand in the position, pointing her feet straight in the air.

This was his chance. Piccolo built up a small amount of chi that he hoped would be enough to expel her fingers from his arms and free him. It collected into critical mass and was about to explode until Kale's chi force propelled her legs, knees first, and snapped back down, right into Piccolo's gut. He silently gasped for air that wasn't there. Kale gave him a smirk… and then locked lips with him.

Gohan slowly lowered down to the ground, making sure not to let either Yamcha or Tenshinhan's body drag on the floor. He had decided to walk the rest of the way. The mountains would cover his retreat if he were low enough to the ground. He also didn't want to make the trip too rough on his two loads. They might have injuries he didn't know about.

"I believe it's around here somewhere. Ah. There it is." Gohan had found the stream where Hunter and Trunks had brought him the first time. Carefully he put Tenshinhan and Yamcha on the ground. They had both started to move slightly, so Gohan would only have to help them down below. He stepped up to the bank of the river, peering into the water. "As soon as I finish bringing them back I will deal with Aku, if he hasn't already fled yet."

"Woooooooooooo!"

"Huh?!" His entire body whipped around to see the source of the strange sound. This time he caught it; the culprit was Syther. Gohan did not, however, dodge the head butt to the chest that plunged him into the water behind him.

"Son Gohan, you will die a million deaths. Master Zeus demands your head and my friends demand your blood." Syther touched the base of the water with his right claw. "Feel the pain."

"You won't-" A spark lit from the claw touching the water. Gohan knew he wouldn't get out in time.

An unearthly scream emitted from the lungs of the young Saiyan. The electricity, conducted by the water, seemed to attack him everywhere at once, making it almost impossible to hold his breath. One thing was for sure; Gohan couldn't move. At this rate Syther would make him die from drowning.

"The mighty Aku could not defeat you, but Syther will be victorious."

"Vulcan Eraser!"

"Kamehameha!"

The two beams flowed through the air like the river they crossed. They converged and became so thick that Syther was almost drowned in them himself. He was driven into and through the ground, digging a trench almost 10 feet deep. Trunks dove into the now calm water to get Gohan; Hunter landed on the edge of the river to make sure Syther did not try to mount a quick return attack.

"Insignificant children!" Syther bounded out of the hole, pissed off to the extreme. His knuckles locked together, causing his claws to do the same, "Do you not realize that you have but sealed your doom?!"

Hunter looked at Trunks inquisitively. "Did you know that, Trunks?"

Trunks shook his head. "Nope."

"Guess we'll just have to deal with it, won't we?"

"Guess so, Hunter." Trunks powered up to SSJ. "Syther. There is no way to explain the pain that the people of this world have suffered at the hands of you and your master." The Saiyan's cocky attitude turned serious. "Understand this; it doesn't matter how long it takes. We will end this. Count on it."

Syther began to laugh uncontrollably. "You really believe that you have a chance to stop Lord Zeus? No one can stop his will. Don't you understand that we have won? I have found the location of the rebel base. I must only report my findings back to Zeus. You will then suffer his wrath."

Hunter ran in front of Trunks, fuming. "What makes you think you can get away from here? In this place we are at our fullest power. You can't defeat us here."

"…Such inexperienced children. I do not need to defeat you to win this battle." Syther jumped high in the air. Hunter gritted his teeth and followed him, tailed closely by Trunks.

"You can't get away!" yelled Trunks from behind.

Syther smiled and rolled himself up in a ball, flipping at high speed. Doing more than 20 flips in about 1 second his stopped almost instantly, hands and arms reaching out for the sky. "Phoenix Flash!" His body glowed a yellow hue for a fraction of a second before breaking into a full-blown blinding light. Trunks and Hunter never saw it coming and were completely unprepared. The intense light nearly blinded them permanently. They hovered in the air, groping at their eyes. Syther once again laughed at them. "The weak and inexperienced are fooled so easily." He grabbed Trunks and pulled him to the ground. Finally getting a better idea of where his enemy was Trunks hurled a punch, completely off the mark. Syther touched his claw to Trunks' back and unleashed another wave of electricity. Trunks didn't last long. He fell limp and Syther caught his gi before he touched the floor.

"Where are you?!" demanded Hunter He couldn't see anything yet, but he knew that Syther was still in the area.

"Idiot! I have already won. When you can see again I will be waiting for you at the castle. Your friend will be there as well, along with the thief and the freak" With that Syther ran away from the site, carrying Trunks with him. The foot soldiers that had been hiding now moved in to pick up Tenshinhan and Yamcha. Hunter tried to follow them, but he was moving at a snails pace. There was no hope. Gohan could barely pick his hand up, but he fired a chi blast anyway. Syther avoided it no problem, but one of the foot soldiers was caught in the explosion and thrown back. Gohan, who was still recovering from the shock of Syther's attack, moved in on his prize. The soldier, despite being one of the best in Zeus' army, cowered in front of Gohan.

"You…"

"No!" He tried to run away, but it was futile. Gohan grabbed him by the collar before he could even turn around.

"You aren't going anywhere." Gohan was breathing heavily. His body ached and his clothes were now a bit torn. Still the soldier knew it would only take a negative thought for Gohan to snap his neck. "Are you okay, Hunter?"

Hunter shook his head. He reached into his pocket and took out the device he had used before. It was now that he was thanking his memory of the buttons on it. "My eyesight is completely shot right now. I'm calling for the crew. They'll pick us up."

"Okay, but this isn't good. Syther got away and will tell Zeus where the entrance to the City is. That means they can attack at any moment. We'll have to come up with a plan soon or else we can expect uninvited guests."

Hunter sighed. They weren't supposed to find out about the City. If they could have only stopped Syther…

"He's a monster, that Zeus." Hunter lowered his head. "The people of the city have seen so much suffering, from themselves and the people they have lost. We need to do whatever we can to keep them protected."

"Does the city have any defensive systems?"

"Didn't Yamcha tell you, Gohan?" asked Hunter, almost surprised.

"Tell me what?"

"Our City is monitored by one computer with two separate entities. One is Hope – The essence of Bulma. It is what makes out barrier work and she also takes care of the day-to-day operations of the city. The second is … he really didn't tell you?"

Gohan shook his head. The soldier, seeing his captor preoccupied, slithered out of his grip. No sooner had he turned his back, though, he received a very unfriendly punch to the lower regions of his back. He was snagged by his collar again, this time from the reverse side.

"I will make sure you are shown then. There is some one there that would benefit greatly from your visit."

"Okay." The two waited about 15 more seconds before the retrieval crew arrived. They helped Hunter on while Gohan dragged the soldier behind him. This was their last hope of possible inside information. It would only be a matter of time until the attack on the City of Hope would commence.

Within a blackened room there stood a figure. Completely surrounded by darkness he did nothing but stare forth, listening to the sounds of nothing. It all seemed to make sense to him, as if the nothingness was speaking back. He was aware of what had just happened outside the walls of the City. Son Gohan had been defeated, Trunks had been taken captive along with Yamcha and Tien, and the City's location had been found. They would soon come, and all would be needed to fight.

"They believe that the battle is over…" His hand began to glow a dark blue. His eyes were closed, the lids motionless. He wasn't shocked at all by his son's defeat to the more experienced fighter in Syther. Still the Prince of the Saiyans had a little bit of revenge on his mind. That, and he would not let the city fall.

"It hasn't even begun."

Conclusion

Gohan's been defeated! How is this going to affect the plans to defeat Aku? What about this mystery person who attacked the heroes. Who is that and why are they helping Aku. It seems that Syther is a little more formidable than originally though. Kale seems to have the hearts for Piccolo. That won't sit well with Zeus. There are still many question to be answered and fighters yet to appear. Our heroes have their work cut out for them.

Next Episode: One Namek's Quest


	4. Episode 4 One Namek's Quest

**Shells And Shadows**

Episode 4: One Namek's Quest 

Midway Conclusion

Things were looking a little bleak now. As much confidence as Gohan had at the beginning of the ordeal, he could not have hoped to predict the tragic turn of events that now had him sapped of his superior strength. Syther had turned out to be more than a formidable foe. His expertise in fighting opponents stronger than himself reminded Gohan of Piccolo.

The Saiyan had more aches and pains than anything. The electrical attack that Syther had used not only caught him by surprise but the water surrounding him multiplied its effect. A smart move from the enemy, but Gohan would deal with him. The road to the freedom of the world would pass through him at some point.

Hunter was now feeling much better, only a few hours removed from the last confrontation. His sight had completely returned, but his depression of the events was high. He blamed himself for the abduction of Trunks, as anyone could see. The two of them were inside a hospital near the center of the city, sitting on the edge of the beds as doctors and nurse walked by. Gohan and Hunter both stared at the floor, unable to really say anything. They knew they had lost the battle and a few of their good friends as well. Once again Piccolo was down. His recovery was expected, but they knew that nothing would be accomplished by the constantly deteriorating plans they made.

Gohan closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He wasn't far off from Hunter's depression. "Hunter…?"

Hunter didn't bother to look up from the floor. He couldn't lift his head up the high. "I know. We screwed up."

"…Yeah. I shouldn't have let myself get carried away…" Gohan flashed back to his fight with Aku. After all but disabling him Gohan wasted far too much time before deciding to finish it. He could have used some other attack besides the Kamehameha wave, but it was the memory of his father burning bright in his heart that made him want to. He hoped it would strike a cord in Aku and make him regret his mistake, but instead it allowed that mystery fighter to jump in and stop him. Aku survived somehow. Gohan wasn't sure where he was, but they would have to deal with a more pumped up… and stronger Aku.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one who let them get Yamcha, Tien, and Trunks… damn it." Hunter pounded the bedside, unable to find any other way to let out his anger and frustration.

"I think we both are to blame, but that doesn't make it seem right. I'm not sure what to do. They are ready for us." Gohan looked to the sky as if he was staring at someone. "Dad… what do I do now? How can I save everyone… you would know…" Gohan trailed off, thinking to himself. Hunter sniffled once. He hadn't known Goku, but from all the stories he had heard of the hero it was clear that Goku's presence would be very helpful.

"It's a shame we can't get to the dragonballs…"

That struck a note in Gohan's head. The entire time he was here no one had mentioned a word about the dragonballs. "Dragonballs!"

"You know about the dragonballs, right?"

The Saiyan grabbed Hunter in a fit of excitement. He couldn't contain himself. "Of course I do! Hunter, tell me; is Dende still alive?"

"…Yes. We don't know where, but he is alive. In the sanctuary of Protection there are two dragonballs that we use to focus the defense systems. There are others somewhere in the world. We have a dragon radar, but there is always the chance of being caught looking for the one's close to the castle."

"We have to take that chance. If we can collect all seven, we-"

"No… you don 'understand. Not all of them are lost. We have two… there are four lost… and Zeus has one "

The wind rushed out of Gohan's lungs and he lost all of his energy. That would explain why no one decided to try to get the dragonballs. If they had to go through Zeus to get to them…

"Hunter… we will do it. We'll get the other four first and then we will figure out a way to get the one that Zeus has."

"Really? And how do you expect to do that?" asked a voice from the entrance. Much to the delight of the both of them it was Piccolo. He was looking refreshed and alive with a new set of clothes and his shotgun strapped to his back. Still, he was all business and the seriousness of the situation once again took center stage.

"Piccolo, what happened to you?"

The Namek acted almost annoyed by the question. "Don't avoid the question!"

"I don't know, Piccolo, but we'll figure that out after we've gotten the dragonballs that are available."

Piccolo grunted to show his displeasure in the plan. "You aren't thinking this through."

Gohan lowered his head. "I'm sorry. I'm no good at this… I just want to bring back everyone alive. If we can use the dragonballs in anyway I think we should at least get the ones we can."

Hunter pushed himself off of the bed and stood straight up. "I think Gohan is right, Piccolo. We should get the dragonballs. I'm going to go and see if I can find them with the dragon radar. I'll take a radio with me-"

"No." interjected the Namek. "You will not."

"Why? We need the dragonballs. With Gohan we have the extra firepower we need to fend off their attacks. They caught us by surprise this time, but next time we will be ready for them." The muscles in his body tensed with the excitement of gathering the dragonballs.

"Hunter, you are too slow." Piccolo reached behind his back and grabbed his shotgun. He lifted and pointed directly at Hunter's head. Gohan was shocked. Hunter nearly jumped back.

"Piccolo!" yelled Gohan, but he was ignored.

"Hunter… if I were to pull this trigger… do you really think you could move in time?"

"What are you doing?" asked Gohan again. This time, though, he stopped himself. He understood the situation and he stopped himself.

Now no longer being interrupted Piccolo placed the barrel of the gun against Hunter's forehead. "Understand this; if they know that you are going to find the dragonballs they will spare no expense and no guard. They will send their best out after you. They might not be much here, but that close to the castle it will be like fighting hundreds of me."

Hunter listened on closely, absorbing all of the words. Gohan did so as well.

"They will use all of their powers and their arms to take you out. If you can't dodge one bullet from me, do you really think you can take on one hundred of them?"

Hunter took in a huge breath, holding it momentarily, and then exhaling. He knew the truth. He couldn't hope to do what Piccolo had asked of him. Him going would just be a suicide mission.

"Now you understand what it will take to pull this off. The both of you are fooling yourselves with this false hope. Hunter cannot hope to get them. Gohan, you can't leave because you are too valuable to the base."

Gohan nodded, as he knew Piccolo was right. It was something he had become accustomed to long ago. "So you are going to go?"

Hunter was in disbelief. After Piccolo had just put the odds out in plain English how could he think about going himself? Surely he was more valuable then Hunter.

"Yeah. I'll take this thing just in case. Problem is that if I have to use it I might just bring down everything they have on me. If that happens…"

"It won't," said Gohan. "You will get the dragonballs and get back safely."

Piccolo smiled. This was Gohan. The boy was as determined as ever and it brought back good memories. "Yeah. I will." Piccolo turned to exit the room. "See you later, kid." With that he was gone. Gohan and Hunter looked at each other.

"Piccolo's touch, Gohan. He will come back. He has a transmitter in wristband that he can use to call for help. We can also track him with it. I know you don't' want to just sit around while he goes so I will show you the Sanctuary of Protection."

"Okay. I'm feeling much better now. My injuries have healed and I've actually gotten stronger. We can try to figure out exactly what the plan will be when we have the dragonballs. We have to far enough away so that they can't counter attack.'

"Right. Not to mention we need to figure out what to wish for."

"That to. Let's not forget the guy that we captured. He's a good place to start to get info."

"Right"

"All right. First things first. Let's get to the Sanctuary of Protection!" The two of them ran out of the room, almost clobbering a group of nurse that happened to walk by. In seconds they were outside the building

The ominous castle of Zeus was before her. Kale had finally returned after a most lengthy walk back. The soldiers at the entrance saluted her as she walked in. She took a right turn at the entrance, passing a darkened hallway. Suddenly she stopped calmly and smirked.

"I'm sure you aren't just standing there for laughs, Syther."

The slim man moved in from the shadows, allowing his masked face to be slightly seen. "Still as sharp as ever I see."

"A compliment. You must be trying to turn on the charm."

"Such a beautiful woman deserves attention."

Kale laughed. "The offer is appreciated, but I'll pass." She began to walk away, but one of Syther's claws was now in her way.

"…"

Kale looked down at it as if it were a minor disturbance. "And what do you plan on doing with that?"

"…Tell me. Is it the shade of green that attracts you?"

Kale choked on the air she was breathing. "I- don't know what you are talking about?"

Syther stepped out of the shadows completely, raising his claw to rest under her neck. "I don't believe you. Your defensive attitude proves your guilt. It's written all over your face. You are in love with the Namek."

Kale became enraged and tried to smack him, but Syther merely cocked his head to the side and avoided it. Peeved Kale simply pushed him away and began walking again.

"Don't make the mistake of going against the wishes of the master. I will kill the Namek and bathe my claws in his blood. You will not interfere. If you do I will make sure that I feast on your pain as well. Is that clear?"

Kale didn't answer. She did, however, turn back around and approached Syther. She was toe to toe with him, staring him in the eyes. He then doubled over in pain when her knee contacted his groin. Without a word she walked away.

Syther crashed to the ground, holding himself up with one knee and one hand. Despite the pain he was in he began to laugh. First slowly, and then uncontrollably it roared. It echoed through the castle and out the door, dissipating into the night.

Zeus walked down the corridor and entered a large room full of tubes and large person-sized containers. None of the specimens inside interested him. He had received a rather disturbing report from one of his messengers (The poor guy isn't part of this world anymore) that not only had Aku been retrieved from the battlefield with serious wounds, but he had also lost to an unknown opponent as well as Gohan.

Zeus crossed the room quickly, homing in on the lone doctor in the room. The man was standing in front of a large tube where the body of Aku was submerged in liquid, being healed. He had a breathing apparatus attached to his mouth and shackles to keep him from falling away from his air.

"Report!" Zeus wasted no words.

"Yes, sir. Our Lord Aku is in critical condition, but he will heal nicely. The tank will take care of his injuries while subduing him for the time being. He won't be able to go on any rampages while in his current condition so his body will heal fully before he can act at 100 again."

"I see." Zeus rubbed his chin. Aku was increasingly hard to contain, but if he were medicated he would be tolerable to a certain extent. His Saiyan blood would dictate how much.

Another messenger came in from the place where Zeus had entered and crossed the room. He stopped behind Zeus and knelt to one knee.

"Sire! I have news from Syther."

"What is it?"

The messenger stood up. "Sire, Lord Syther has informed us that he has successfully carried out his mission and learned the location of the rebel base. He also reports that he has captured 3 hostages from the rebel camp, all high ranking officers."

"Names?"

"The names are Tenshinhan, Yamcha, and Trunks."

A smile crawled across Zeus face as the name Trunks was mentioned. "The Saiyan Prince will not be pleased. He may even… react." Zeus made an about-face and walked toward the door. "I am returning to my throne room. I want the prisoners to be prepped and then brought before me. You know what needs to be done."

"Yes sire."

"Good." Zeus exited the room and returned to his own. With things going his way he might not feel the need to kill any of his staff.

The building was exactly the same as it was when he left the first time. That much was a good thing. If Syther had decided to act quickly he might have been able to take the citizens of the City by surprise and do some major damage to the homes, people, and the Sanctuary. Thankfully he decided to retreat instead. Everything was still as it was. Gohan stepped through the open door and into the building once again.

"Yamcha told you about "Hope?"

"Yes. I talked to Bulma… or what she has become. It's horrible that she had to make such a sacrifice." They entered the main room, approaching the large centerpiece.

"I see. Once the war is over there will be no need for her to do that."

"No. There won't" said Bulma from atop the pedestal. Her angelic form had appeared without either Hunter or Gohan noticing. Gohan turned to her, a smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Bulma. I'll make sure that we win."

"I believe you, Gohan. In fact, I may be able to help out." The two boys stood attentive.

"How is that?"

"Gohan. Hunter. After downloading my personality into this computer I have had a chance to test many theories and inventions. What previously took weeks and months can now take minutes. I've can simulate tests without the danger of using volatile parts or anything unsafe. In this time I have tried to come up with many devices to help with the attacks on the castle."

"Did you make something that we can use against them?"

"Yes, Gohan. It has its limitations, but it can be used. It's a Battle Enhancer." Instantly the figure that once floated above the pedestal was gone, replaced by a 3D picture of the device being described. "They look like ordinary metal wristbands, but they are much more. They repel the waves that dampen the chi field, thus allowing it to be used at will."

Hunter couldn't hold back his feelings. "You mean with these we could fly and use our chi like before?"

"Yes, Hunter. They do have their limitations. They can sustain a low level of energy infinitely, but they can only sustain a large amount of energy for a few minutes. That means that changing into a Super Saiyan is out of the question unless it's for a short amount of time. Otherwise they will overload and cease to work."

"Who cares? If we all wear these-"

"That's the other problem. It's not easy to get these devices to work. So far I've only gotten one pair to work perfectly. The second pair is questionable and has not been tested thoroughly yet. In theory it should be fine… but that's only in theory."

"What's the worst that could happen with that one?"

"It will not harm the user from malfunctioning, but it could stop working at a crucial time."

"We're going to have to try," stated Gohan. "When Piccolo gets back we'll figure out what the best plan is. We know they will help, but we can't just bust through the front door."

The entrance door hissed open. Bulma reappeared on the platform while Gohan and Hunter gazed at the person who had just entered the room. He was no stranger to the Saiyan boy; they had met many times on the battlefield as comrades and enemies. Hunter was a bit alarmed to see him. It had been ages since Vegeta was seen in person by anyone.

"Vegeta!" Gohan almost lost himself in the moment, starting to run over to him to give him a hug. He stopped himself when he realized it was indeed Vegeta.

"Son Gohan. So it is true. You are not a clone. You have come from another dimension?"

"That's what I think, but I'm not sure."

"Whatever." He looked at the figure of his wife sitting atop the podium. His eye twitched slightly once, giving a clue as to his feelings about her and her decision. He never said anything about it verbally at that time, but it didn't matter. Everyone knew he was all but enraged. "I hear you have some new fighting gear."

"Yes, Vegeta. Hi to you too."

"Once Zeus is defeated and you are back in your body you can worry about the introductions and formalities. All I want to do is to take his neck in my hands and snap it. Tell me what the limitations on the bands are."

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Gohan. "You aren't going to try to bust in with no plan, Vegeta! That's suicide! We need to figure out someway to get things to our advantage."

Vegeta slowly rotated until he was glaring irately at Gohan. His body was now showing some of the power that was being hidden within. Bulma yelled something at him, but Vegeta never heard her. He kept his eyes trained on Gohan.

"Vegeta…"

"Listen to me, kid. You don't understand anything of this world. My greatest rival is dead, not by my hands, but by the hands of his son. My wife's body lies like a corpse in my training room, a solemn reminder of why I keep on living in this world. My only son has been kidnapped by a psychopathic killer and with him two more fighters that defend this city. If there is anyway for this nightmare to end then I welcome it gladly. I will show Zeus the power of the Saiyan race at it's fullest and he will know what others have come to fear: The might of the true warrior always wins!"

"Vegeta…"

"I don't care how impossible it looks! I will take back what he has taken from me. If I have to destroy half of this planet to do it I will! There is no price too large to pay! None!"

"Vegeta!" screamed Gohan. It was the only way to get himself heard. "You can't go off by yourself. Don't be so thick-headed!"

Vegeta glanced at him one more time. "Maybe you shouldn't be so weak."

Gohan attempted to utter something, but Vegeta's words rang in his head. Hunter was just as speechless. He had nothing to say the whole conversation, mainly because he was intimidated by the Prince's presence.

His point now across, Vegeta exited the room empty handed. Gohan and Hunter knew that even though he had not taken anything with him, it didn't mean that Vegeta didn't have some other plan up his sleeve. He was a master of strategy. All they could do was sigh. They would know his plan soon enough, whether they wanted to or not.

Tenshinhan's face was wet with perspiration. The cell that he had been tossed in was hot and humid. Yamcha was close by, leaning up against the wall. Tien wiped his face with his hand and breathed deep. They were being tested. A simple increase in temperature to make them break.

"You realize what they are trying to do to us, Yamcha." Tien ran his hand over his head.

"Uh huh. They must think we're kids. This is the kind of stuff we did to train."

"Yeah. It's mind games. Still, I don't think that they are that stupid. They might have something else in mind. Be sure to keep on your guard. We may have to defend ourselves."

"Right, Tien. I just wish I knew where Trunks was."

"Same here." They looked away from each other. They had searched the cage as soon as they had come completely conscience. They had noticed Trunks had been captured also on the way back to the castle. Being drained of most of their energy they couldn't do anything about it. Once locked in the cell they figured that all of them were together, but they soon found out that Trunks was missing. They knew that Trunks was more valuable simply because he was so much stronger than they were. What the plans were for the demi-Saiyan were unknown, but Yamcha and Tien knew they wouldn't be good.

Not to far away there was a loud clanking sound, followed by a slam. Footsteps were next, and they became louder.

"Someone's coming, Tien."

Tenshinhan took a step back away from the entrance to the cell and lowered into a fighting stance. "I hear them. Get ready."

"Right."

A few seconds later the first of 10 guards in white, metallic suits became visible. They all took positions in front of the cage, all down to one knee with a fist to the ground. A larger, more muscular man in black metallic clothing with gray lining trailed them. He went up to the door to the cell. It slid open. He entered, seeing Yamcha and Tien ready to fight. He thought it amusing.

"Just what do you think that you can accomplish by starting a fight now?"

"Anything is good enough!" Yamcha gathered as much of his chi as he could. The guard in black folded his arms and smiled.

"You are welcome to try, but you are better saving your energy for later. You are going to need. It?"

Tenshinhan put a hand on his friend's shoulder, letting him know to pull back. Yamcha did so, letting his muscles loosen and release the tension that had built inside of them. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that Lord Zeus has chosen you to go to the planet War. There you will be allowed to fight for your life. If you win you'll be set free."

"Yeah right!" yelled Yamcha. "There's a catch somewhere. There always is."

The black guard laughed. "That's not my concern. It shouldn't be yours either. All you need to worry about is surviving the fights on War. It isn't going to be as easy as you think." The guard left the cell and began to leave the room. He addressed his staff of white clad men. "See to it that these men are properly prepared for the trip to War."

"If you think we are going to let you-"

The guards lifted their arms and fired gas from hidden compartments on their arms. Yamcha and Tien were lying on the ground motionless in a matter of seconds. Whether they wanted to or not they were going on a trip.

Piccolo stared at the dragon radar. It was telling him that the dragonball he was looking for was inside the building in front of him. Piccolo wasn't about to rush in, though. There could be plenty of guards around doing surveillance. He would have to play it cool this close to the castle. He had no intentions on ending up in the same predicament that Yamcha, Tien, and Trunks were in.

"The dragonball is here alright. I need to move closer to the base of the building." Piccolo pulled his shotgun out of the strap on his back. Not only did he want to have it ready just in case of an ambush, but he was also going to need the room to store the dragonballs that he found.

He carefully approached the structure, using the debris that had collected around it from the half demolished buildings as cover. He detected no guards around, but he still took no chances.

_All right. This is it. Go for it._

Quicker than a bullet Piccolo took off. Despite his chi being depressed he was still able to muster an enormous amount of speed. He ran past older buildings and signs that had fallen. The door to the one he was going to had already given way. It leaned against the frame and wobbled slightly as Piccolo passed it.

He ran through the building and found a staircase leading up. All the while he kept an eye on the dragon radar, which indicated that he was getting closer to the prize.

On the 15th floor he stopped and stepped through the doorframe, also conveniently without a door. In the room he entered there was nothing but dirt and rock on the ground. The walls looked as if they could give way any second. The sound the building would make if it crashed to the ground would surely bring someone to his position. Piccolo had to act fast.

His search was over quicker than expect. On the wall to his right there was a clear hole where the dragonball had entered. It went all the way to the outside so the ball wasn't there. On the opposite wall, though, there was undoubtedly an imperfection that had been caused by some small object. Upon closer inspection that object was seen wedged in about one foot. Piccolo smirked.

"A dragonball. That's number one." He pulled it out carefully, not wanting his work to go to waste if the structure fell. It came out without too many problems and Piccolo back down the stairs and out the entrance. He didn't stop until he was at his previous safe point. He dropped the dragonball in his shotgun holder.

"One down, three to go. I hope all of them go as smoothly as that one. If we get all of the dragonballs we have the advantage. Let's see." Once again studying the dragon radar Piccolo read the locations of the other balls. Two were together inside the base. Their signal was faint, but that was Bulma's technology working to keep them undetected. He had one in his possession. Two of them were very far away while one was a bit closer to the castle. The last one was in Zeus' throne room. Piccolo didn't need the radar to tell him that.

"It's only a matter of time. We'll get the dragonballs, and we will end this war." There was a brief moment of silence as Piccolo reflected on what it would be like without Zeus in the world. It was short-lived, as Piccolo would not allow himself to be deterred from his goal. After first making sure that no one was watching he sped off for the next of the dragonballs.

Conclusion 

Piccolo was successful in obtaining the first dragonball, but even if he finds all of the missing ones, how will he and the others contend with Zeus? What does he plan to do with Yamcha and Tien and what has happened to Trunks? Vegeta has finally shown his intentions but even he has to know they are lofty. The machine Bulma built will help out whoever wears it… so who wears it? The good guys regroup and the bad guys get ready for the next encounter.

Next Episode: Battle Arena


	5. Episode 5 The Battle Arena

**Shells And Shadows**

Episode 5: Battle Arena

_Are you okay?_

"Who's asking?" Yamcha demanded. As he did a dull pain swan through his head. It felt like it was crushing his brain with water. It was a female voice whispering to him, but that is all he could tell.

_Are you awake?_

The pain became more pronounced. His hands trembled with fear of the unknown assailant. They grasped at his skull, hoping to massage the feeling away, but they could not alleviate it at all.

_Please. Wake up._

"Get out of my head!" He stumbled back and tripped over his heel. Yamcha hadn't even known he was standing. Through the soreness he finally observed his surroundings. It was black. He was surrounded by nothing but black space.

_Fight it._

The ache started to clear away from his brain and Yamcha could finally think straight. He still could not see the person talking to him, but he could rationalize they must be near.

"What am I supposed to fight?"

The Darkness

"How can I? It' s everywhere." He turned around once in a circle once, confirming what he had just said. Everywhere there was black. There was no difference between the sky and the floor he stood on. It didn't make sense at all.

_You must wake up. The darkness cannot consume you while you are in the light._

"The light?" Everything was confusing still. Yamcha stared at his hands, which he could see as plain as day, despite there being no light. Was it possible that he was in the Dead Zone? The lack of any light or life would be explained if that were true. Having gratefully never been in the Dead Zone Yamcha didn't know what it would look like, but something told him he wasn't.

Go to the light

"What light?" he asked. "I don't see any light."

_Make your own light._

"My own light?" Still confused Yamcha looked down at his hand again. It began to glow with the power from his body. As it did the area around him began to glow. "What is going on here?"

Your light is waking inside of you

"My light… my chi… my power…" In a moment Yamcha's chi power skyrocketed, sending up white flames around him. Yamcha was in awe. He could never remember possessing such power. And yet… there was more.

Ignite your light

He did as he was told. From deep within his body his battle cry sounded. The power of his chi burst forth, taking on a light blue hue. Steadily it rose, never once showing any signs of slowing down. His lungs were on fire, but they did not hurt. Every muscle in his body ached of strength. The room around him brightened to a blinding light…

"Welcome back to the real world, friend." It was Tenshinhan. He was talking to Yamcha, who was lying on the floor. They were inside of a cage being carried by four large beasts.

Yamcha sat up and looked at one of the cage holders. It was easily about eight feet tall. Its arms were muscular. It had a sleeveless brown, leather armor on that protected its upper torso down to its hips. His foot apparel resembled moccasins.

"What... where?"

"I don't know, Yamcha, but I'm glad you are awake. I've been getting some info on this place. You've noticed that we aren't on earth."

"Not until now." The sky outside of the cage was a red/orange hybrid. It was mildly cloudy. There were tall, thick mountains in the distance, but the beasts seemed to be transporting them over sand at the moment.

"This place is a world wide battleground. There are arena's all over the planet where people go to watch prisoners fight for their lives."

"Tien, how do you know this?" Tien pointed over Yamcha's head. The desert bandit rolled over and found that a woman had been sitting behind him quiet the entire time.

"Hello, Yamcha. My name is Talon."

Yamcha sat up and extended his hand. She shook it politely. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were here."

"That's okay. I'm just glad you were awake. The gas that they use to subdue the prisoners is very strong and can keep people asleep for days. If you aren't awake when it is your turn to fight they may just send you into the arena. The fighters are very ruthless."

"…It was you. You talked to me in my dreams, didn't you?"

"It was Talon. She was trying to wake you up. You weren't shaking the effect of the gas like we were hoping. You might have taken a heavy dose of it." Tien sat against the cage on the opposite side of Talon and Yamcha. "Now that we are all awake, Talon, can you explain what we are doing here and why we are being forced to fight?"

Talon nodded. "Zeus owns this planet. When he first discovered it the state of the world was bad. The Furlan, the beasts that you see outside of the cage, were the only ones who occupied the planet because they were the only ones who could survive here. They were vast in number and in brute strength. They are gentle creatures by nature, but the invading forces of Zeus changed that. They fought for their home, keeping the majority of the armies at bay. Even the elite soldiers couldn't fight them."

"Then who defeated them?" asked Yamcha.

"Zeus did. He descended into the heart of the Furlan army and wiped out half the species. He demanded surrender or the second half would follow. Not wanting to lose any more of their race the Furlan gave in. After that Zeus decided to use the planet as a battle arena to reward his soldiers. Prisoners fight a number of opponents. If you can defeat them all then you are given a choice of doors. Choose the right one for your freedom. Choose the wrong one and you have to face… Zeus."

"So Zeus will be here?"

"Yes."

"What are you thinking, Yamcha?" inquired Tien.

"Nothing yet. If Zeus is here then we might have to go through him to get back home. I don't know if we can beat him, but I'll sure try if I have to. I owe him a lot."

"I know, Yamcha. I do to. I will get revenge for my fallen friend. Let's just make sure we don't rush into anything. There are other prisoners here as well so we might be able to get their help. The more people we have the better."

"You won't have to go far to find people wanting to escape," said Talon. "Every person on this transport has the fighter's spirit burning inside of them. They will help… if you can show them that you can pull it off."

"You mean win in the Arena?"

Talon nodded. "They give the prisoners a choice of who to send in first. If you go on your own you might get their trust and devotion. The last thing any of them want to do is fight Zeus, no matter how powerful they are."

"It's settled." Tien stood up, cracking his knuckles. "I'm going in first. If I can't do it then it's up to you, Yamcha."

"Right." Yamcha was ready, willing and able to go right then and there.

"I will support you however I can. I hope you can win." Talon pressed her right fist to her heart. "If you do end up fighting Zeus I will be there. I have a score to settle with him as well."

"We all do."

The soldier that Hunter and Gohan had caught was now confronted by his captors. He had been stripped of all of his armor and given a prisoner's uniform to wear. Through the cloth you could see his knees chattering. He wasn't used to being so weak.

Hunter looked at Gohan, and then at the soldier. "I'm only going to ask you once. Tell me how to destroy the generator."

Despite his nearly overpowering fear the soldier remained silent. Gohan carefully examined the situation.

"If you don't answer I'm going to have to let him deal with you." Hunter pointed at Gohan. The soldier took one look at the Saiyan and visions of Aku danced in his mind.

"OH MY GOD NO! I'LL TALK!"

"Good. Tell us how we get into the building where the generator is housed and we won't have to give you to the evil Saiyan."

"All right. Soldiers are given special keycards inside of their armor that allow them access to the inside. You need clearance to get to certain rooms. The higher the rank the more access."

"What does your keycard do?"

"I can only go inside the first door. I'm not a guard in the tower, so I don't have access. Please. That's all I know. DON'T LET HIM NEAR ME!" The soldier rolled up away from Gohan, refusing to budge even an inch.

"Well that was helpful," said Hunter. "If we can just get inside to the generators main room then we can destroy it. That's when we can really do some damage."

"Right."

"Gohan. I'll handle this one. I don't care what Piccolo said. I can get inside. When I do I will blow that thing sky high. Then everyone can come and we will beat them for the last time."

"I don't know, Hunter. I'm not sure either of us should leave yet. We should wait until Piccolo gets back. If you leave and they attack we might not have the manpower to stop them. You have to stay, just a little while longer."

Hunter huffed. He wasn't being rebellious, but he wanted to get to the generator so badly. The city could live without one fighter for just a few hours, right?"

"Hunter… I know it's tough, but-"

BOOM!

The two fighters were knocked to the floor hard. The soldier ran into the corner crying for his mommy. When they regained their composure Hunter and Gohan noticed that there was no longer a ceiling on the building that they were in."

"Damn!" cursed Hunter. The exact thing he hoped wouldn't have happened yet had.

"They must be here already!" yelled Gohan. "We have to drive them out of the city!"

"Right!" Hunter jumped into the air. No sooner had he cleared the structure then he was clobbered with a double fisted attack. Hunter went careening through the air and crashed into one of the buildings. Kale softly touched the ground in front of him.

"You shouldn't be so sure of yourself."

Hunter picked himself up out of the rubble. That hit had hurt both his pride and his face. "You…."

"That's right. Come on. I know you want to kill me." Kale mocked him, pointing at her chin. "I'll give you a free one if you want it. Right here. If you're quick enough maybe you'll get two."

Hunter walked into the opening. He didn't attack. He just approached her. They stood toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye. Gohan touched down behind him.

"It's two on one. That's not fair."

"You came here," said Gohan. Then he was gone.

"What?" Kale's eyes shifted slightly, then her entire head as she had to dodge a punch from Hunter. He faded out of sight and Gohan came in behind him. This time the punch hit and Kale stumbled back.

"Behind you!" cried Hunter. Kale whipped around and saw him in the air, both palms aimed right at her forehead. A large chi sphere fired from him hands. Kale jumped out of the way to avoid the massive explosion. Gohan dove in with an elbow, which she swatted away with her arm. She returned the favor, giving him one of her elbows. Hunter jumped in and started a massive barrage of attacks. Kale blocked some and returned others.

Gohan stayed back this time allowing the two to go at it. If Hunter could handle her then he could check on the civilians in the city. The chaos caused by the surprise attack was sure to cause an accident or two at least.

"I must make sure that everyone is okay. We can't let anyone get hurt." Gohan levitated into the air to get a good look at the situation. There wasn't too much damage, but the buildings that had been hit were in bad shape. He had his work cut out for him. Gohan hurried to save all of the people in time.

The sky was a dark purple, more dreary then he had ever seen. The clouds raced through the air as if they had somewhere to go. They seemed almost in fast motion. The ground was dark and cold, the dirt almost had as rock. There was a set of mountains in the distance, but no other life forms around.

_What is this place? How did I end up here? This can't be earth._

Aku couldn't understand how he had made his way into such a desolate place without knowing. Even weirder was the weather that seemed to breathe of sorrow and pity.

_Is this some kind of trick? It must be. Someone is trying to play me for a fool! They will soon find that to be their biggest mistake!_

His fists clenched together like stones, ready to pound on the first person worthy. Still there was no one around and nothing to attack. Aku's patience began to wear thin.

"Where are you?" Show yourself and fight me!"

"Very well."

Aku froze in place. The voice had come from behind him and was very familiar. He hadn't heard it in a while… because the man was dead.

"You look scared," said Goku, staring at his son. He was in his traditional gi and already up to SSJ 2. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You can't…" he stammered, nearly tripping over his own foot to get away. This couldn't be Goku. Goku was dead already, and by the hands of Aku himself. Yet this person look, sounded, and felt like Goku.

"I am. Gohan, I am you father. Do you deny that?"

Aku gazed long and hard at the man that stood before him. He couldn't believe it, but somehow Goku had managed to stay alive. How was the question, but Aku knew that his inability to finish the job on his greatest threat would come back to haunt him.

"You tried to kill me in cold blood, but I live on. What are you going to do now?"

"Fool!" he yelled. "If I didn't get it right the first time I'll do it now!" Aku powered up to his full output and dove at his father. He reared back his arm in preparation for a huge punch. It exploded forward… and Goku stopped it with one finger. Aku was in utter disbelief.

"You were saying?"

"You couldn't possibly… no. I am the strongest!" Aku began a barrage of punches and kicks aimed all over Goku's body, but the young Saiyan couldn't lay a finger on Goku, who dodged each one without so much as an effort. In the end Aku was drained and tired.

"Maybe you aren't the strongest."

Aku puffed, having lost most of his energy from the last attack. Still, he wouldn't be outdone or embarrassed. "I AM THE STRONGEST!" Once again his power soared, encasing him in a yellow flame. Aku cupped his hands to the side, smiling the whole time. "You remember this one, right?"

"You remember it also."

_What is that supposed to mean? He's trying to trick me somehow. That's what it is. Just block it out and fire. He thinks he's too strong to be effected by my beam, but he's forgotten who is the strongest of all. That will be his mistake._

"Kaaaaaaaaaa….."

"You might try to convince yourself that you are some cold, heartless lunatic, but you aren't." Goku laid his hands to the side.

"Meeeeeeeee…."

"Gohan, think about what happened that day. What happened the day that you and I fought for the last time? What was the last thing that went though your mind? The last thing you said?"

"Haaaaaaaaa…."

"It wasn't that you hated me, or anyone else, was it? It wasn't about conquering the world or finding the best fighters, was it? You remember what you said, don't you?"

"Meeeeeeeee…"

"They were trying to take control of your mind and you were fighting. You were so scared because you didn't know what to do. No one could help you. That's when you said your last words to me. Remember? You said 'help me, daddy'."

"HA-" The beam stopped in Gohan's hand, continuously swirling around between his palms. He began to flash back to that day when he killed his father. Normally he could see himself powering up and then firing the fatal blast that would end Goku's life. This time, however, he could see the part that his mind always seemed to skip over. This time he could see himself, begging his father to stop him someway, anyway. Goku knew what was going to happen, but he refused to stop Gohan physically. Gohan was on the verge of breaking whatever hold there was on his mind when the influence was increased by almost a hundred fold. The power of it nearly drove him insane. He released the largest chi blast that he had ever done aside from the one that eradicated Cell. It was a sorrowful day for Aku, but all he could think about were Goku's bad qualities.

_How can I possibly go on knowing that I am being controlled… or am I? Maybe this is just a trick. Some magician is trying to make me think I am sorry about what happened so that I will no longer be a threat. That's their game. And to think I almost believed him…_

"Sorry, dad, but I'm going to have to end your life again."

"You can't. I still live on inside of you. As long as you live, I live."

"Blah, blah, blah. You die again now!" Gohan recharged his Kamehameha wave and released it full force on his father again. It vaporized him in an instant, much to Aku's delight. "Ding, dong, the witch is dead!" Once again he had finished off the second strongest fighter in the world. He was getting pretty good at it too. Now all Aku had to do was find a way out of the place he was in…

They had arrived in the Arena almost an hour ago. There were ten of them in total. The order was picked, with Yamcha starting off, followed by Tien and Talon. They met the rest of the group as well.

Halve was a small elf with a short sword strapped to his back. He didn't enjoy fighting and couldn't understand how he ended up in the Battle Arena at all. He didn't wear any armor, just green, cotton clothes.

Other than him there was only one other person who stood out. His name was Magus. He had been a late addition to the Battle Arena. From what was known about him he arrived on a planet not to far from earth just as the "collection squad" was about to leave. He demanded to be allowed into the Battle Arena. He was covered from head to toe with black armor, a purple cape over his back. He said nothing to the other competitors, convincing Tien and Yamcha that he was a little bit full of himself.

"What are you thinking, Tien?" asked Talon.

"Yamcha should be able to do okay. I can feel the first opponent. They say there are ten. Yamcha will beat the first one; the others we'll have to see as we go along. The only think I'm worried about is that Magus guy. He might try to do something stupid. From the look of him he is strong, but I don't think he's as strong as he thinks he is."

"I see. You don't want him to get hurt trying to fight more than he can?"

"Right. We'll have to keep an eye on him."

"Okay." Talon glanced over at Magus once. The man was completely silent and his features were hidden by his armor. She couldn't get a good sense of his chi either, but she could tell that he had some sort of power. Talon did agree with Tien, though. For what she could sense Magus didn't enough power to warrant him wanting into the Battle Arena. There was probably another reason that they didn't know about."

A Furlan opened the door to their cage and pointed to Yamcha. He went without trouble and looked back at his friends. "Don't worry about this desert bandit. I'll take them all out!"

"Good luck, Yamcha," said Tien. Even though he had plans to go first Yamcha had later convinced him that it was best to let him take down the easier guys and let Tien stay charged for the harder foes.

"Good luck," said Talon.

"Thanks. He walked off toward the battleground.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" said the announcer over the P.A. system. "Welcome to the Battle Arena! Once again you get to see melee combat at it's best. Fighters from around the galaxy and the universe will fight for their lives in a quest to win their freedom. If these ten combatants manage to defeat all of their opponents they will have a choice of doors. The right door will send them on their way home. The wrong door will force them into one more battle- the strongest in the universe, Zeus!"

Yamcha was escorted into the middle of the arena. He stood just outside of a large, gray circle split through the ground into fourths. The Furlan then left him by himself. "Well, let's get this show on the road. Who's first?"

The ground began to open up and a column from beneath rose up. It was a great marble structure more than 6 feet wide and 8 in the air. At the base of it there was a large doorway. It slid open, revealing the first opponent.

"What the-?" Yamcha yelled in shock.

Conclusion

The fighting in the Battle Arena is just about to start, but what can Yamcha be so surprised about? Has he seen this fighter before? Aku has once again killed Goku. This time, however, it wasn't so simple and easy. What of the visions he saw? Were they real or just figments of his imagination? The attack on the City of Hope has started. Kale seems to be a one-person army at this point. Hunter is taking care of her while Gohan helps out everyone else. They need to protect the city at all costs. It's just about time for some real action so stay tuned!

Next Episode: Psycho Dance

Editors Note: Apparently I had a few more chapters of this still on my computer so I'm going to start releasing them as I have time to look them over. Depending on where things are I may finish the story afterward.


	6. Episode 6 Psycho Dance

**Shells And Shadows**

Episode 6 – Psycho Dance

Midway Conclusion

The light from the sun had gone. It was nearly complete darkness all around. That suited Piccolo just fine. He had done what he had planned. His quest for the dragonballs had been an easy one so far. Each of the dragonballs on his 'list' had been found without so much as a hint of danger. That was fine with him. Piccolo wasn't looking for trouble. He did expect to find it, though, when he went for the last dragonball.

_I know they are probably waiting for me to bring back the ones I have found, but I have the best chance to slip by their defenses and get the dragonball in Zeus' throne room. That's what I will do._

Zeus' castle was in the distance, but Piccolo could see it as if it were right in front of him. He could also feel his chi being suppressed by the nearby generator. It didn't matter. His power being down was an advantage right now. Lower power equaled more camouflage. They would never see him coming.

There were no guard towers around the castle. Zeus relied heavily on patrols and overwhelming numbers. At anytime there were enough guards around to see everywhere at once. That wasn't going to make getting inside any easier. Piccolo didn't care too much. He hadn't intended to sneak by everyone. He was going to create a small diversion.

Gabe was a under appreciated guard stuck with the night shift. He never got any sleep, but he didn't dare to complain. He leaned up against the front wall of the castle as the other guards walked by. They wouldn't say anything about him slacking off. Their superiors liked to torture both the guilty and the witness. However, if he were caught there would be no saving him. Still he had to rest a bit. Not like there was anything going on anyway.

_Why do I get stuck with the night shift? Can't someone else do it once in a while? That's it! I'm going right in and giving someone a piece of my mind! I've worked for over 10 years here and not once have I gotten a day shift. They must think that I'm not worthy. I'll show them. Once they see how the captain looks after I'm done with him they'll know how valuable I am. Just watch!_

KABOOM!

There was an explosion not to far from Gabe's position, near the building that housed the generator. Upon looking closer Gabe could see that it was indeed the generator building that had been hit. He couldn't tell how badly in the darkness, but it was a pretty big explosion. He jumped off the wall and was about to run to the site when his captain ran ahead of him.

"Stay here and guard the perimeter, soldier! The rest of you come with me!"

"What?" It was far too late to complain, though, as the captain was out of earshot. "That's… damn it!"

"What's the matter?" asked someone from behind.

"I got left behind again is what! Damn captain doesn't know what's good for him. I'd take out anyone trying to get into that building. Why the hell did he leave me here?"

"Maybe he wants the best to stay behind and watch the entrance to the castle."

Gabe hadn't thought about it that way. There were probably a handful of people left around the castle. He looked around for them, but couldn't find them. They must have run off to the site anyway. Losers. Don't they understand how important they are? What if someone were to try to get inside? At least there was one left. Gabe turned around to face his friend…

"You look green," said Piccolo.

"…I…"

"Your friends were the lucky ones. You on the other hand are not." Piccolo jammed a fist into Gabe's stomach, incapacitating him. Gabe gasped, wondering why he had to be the one to get beat up, and then passed out.

Piccolo snatched the soldier up by his leg and dragged him to a group of bushes. There he had stored the rest of his victims that had stayed behind. Piccolo suspected that they would be discovered soon enough, but that was out of his hands. By the time they were he would be gone, and the dragonball, the last one, would be in his possession.

"It's almost over. Now the hard part begins." Piccolo retrieved his shotgun, which was leaning up against a tree nearby. He cocked it, making sure it was ready to go. He briefly glanced around to make sure there weren't any more people around, and then he ran in through the front door.

If there were ever a superman in this world it was Gohan. Moving at speeds incomprehensible to everyone else he managed to keep most of the building from falling so far. The first building only had two people in it. Gohan moved them out of the structure and it crumbled to the ground not to long after. They were dropped off and Gohan was gone before they could even say thank you.

_How could she have attacked so many places at once? She must have gotten in without security seeing her. Something's not right about this._

Gohan turned his attention to yet another building that was populated and about to fall. He rushed inside, getting people out through windows. Some had headed down the staircase and were stuck. He managed to get all of them out as well, though it took slightly longer. As he dropped the last two people off outside the building he noticed another one in the distance. It was all but gone and he had no chance to make it. There was at least one person he could see stuck in it. Gohan blasted off at full speed.

_I've got to try to get there. I can't let anyone down!_

The two people reaching out the window suddenly were swept up by someone and placed on the ground. They were all right and their savior landed next to them.

"Krillan!"

Krillan peered up and saw Gohan. He was in black jeans with no shirt. It appeared like he had come from a light bit of training. "Hey, bro. Thanks for helping out."

"Sure. That's the last of them, right?"

Krillan nodded. "Yes, but we need to check the Sanctuary of Hope and Protection. How is Hunter doing? I saw him fighting Kale a minute ago."

"He was doing fine. Let's make sure that Bulma is okay and then we can deal with Kale."

"Sounds good to me. Let's go!" With the health of their friend in mind Gohan and Krillan headed toward the Sanctuary.

Elsewhere in the city Hunter had his hands full. Kale was good... very good. Hunter had been on the receiving end of much of the punishment of the battle. Still he was very much in the game. Kale stood atop a toppled structure, nearly 100 feet in the air.

"Why don't you just quit?" she asked him, hands crossed over her chest.

"Because I'm not like you. I care about what happens to these people."

"Do you? That's nice. You should worry about yourself though. You don't look like you are going to last too much longer."

She was right. Hunter, despite his will to continue, was going to be out of it if the pace kept up at the norm. She was just too much for him. Where was Gohan? Didn't he realize that Hunter needed him? Were that many buildings damaged?

"You are nothing but a monster. You can't just hurt all of these people because you want to… you monster!"

"Stupid kid." Kale soared into the air, almost hovering at the top of her jump. The moment she was in the sky seemed like a minute. Suddenly she plummeted to the ground, cocking her fist back. Her decent evened out as she approached the ground until she was moving forward less than an inch above. With a burst of energy she rammed her punch right into Hunter's jaw. His head snapped sickeningly to the side.

"…My turn." Just as quickly as it had gone one way it went the other. Completely unprepared for such a quick retaliation Kale could do nothing but brace herself. Hunter's punch connected in much the same way as hers, but with much more effect. Kale now when through the structure she once had stood atop of, breaking boulders into pebbles along the way. She rebounded almost as soon as she hit the farthest wall, coming right back at Hunter. Kale homed in on his head with a kick.

Crack!

It happened so fast that she didn't realize she was on the floor until she had slid almost 50 yards. Kale hopped off the ground, gritting her teeth and growling loudly.

"Don't get too confident, kid! You aren't as good as you think you are!" She raised an arm into the air, flattening the palm of her hand horizontally. A purple orb began to form atop it. Hunter took a step back, feeling the power within it. It was no joke. That thing was meant to kill.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else. I won't let you win!" Hunter hurriedly cupped his hands at his side. He had never been in such a rush to release an attack, but this was one huge exception. Within moments he built enough energy to release.

"What is he doing?" Kale wondered quietly to herself. "You can't use that! If you-"

"Vulcan Eraser!" The massive charge raged from his palms, plotting a course in line with Kale's body. It connected, violently, and she dropped from the sky. However, the energy ball that she had created did not dissipate. Instead it slowly began to descend to the ground.

"You…stupid…" Kale could barely speak as her body abruptly met the floor. Her eyes were barely able to keep themselves open, but she could all-too-well see the bright and angelic figure pulsating above her. Kale knew that she would not be able to move out of the way in time.

Hunter cursed at himself for not recognizing the type of attack that she had used. The worst part was that he knew he could hope to stop it. He was just too weak. In other words all Hunter could do was watch it fall to the ground. The orb was moving faster, most likely feeling the effects of gravity. It would be about ten seconds before it hit. It was then that he realized that Kale would most likely take the brunt of the blast.

"…Damn it." Hunter had to summon up all of his strength. He ran, top speed, to the spot where Kale was lying, still under the effects of his Vulcan Eraser. A hint of a smile crossed his face, realizing that his attack had indeed had an effect. That thought came and went quickly. Hunter picked up his enemy… and ran. The orb, now almost a premonition of death, crashed into the ground. They hadn't made it out of the blast radius…

"It's time. Release Lord Aku." The doctor ordered of his assistant. The fluid that had surrounded Aku's body began to drain. Aku eyes remained closed, slightly twitching.

"Doctor-" started the assistant.

"I see. He is dreaming, as most people do when they are asleep. Do not worry yourself about it. The fluid has drained. Open the seal."

"Yes, sir." A silent hissing sound preceded the opening of the tube. It did so slowly, allowing air to finally touch Aku's skin. The Doctor approached his patient with a black robe. He placed it upon Aku's shoulders, tying it around his waist.

"Prepare Lord Aku's clothes. We must have them ready as he awakens."

"Yes, sir." The assistant ran off into the castle.

The Doctor inspected the still limp and calm form before him. All of the previous scars and wounds were apparently healed. Aku would still be subdued for a while as a result of the process, but he was one hundred percent ready. The Doctor removed the breathing apparatus from Aku's mouth, letting it hang from its own cord.

"Lord Aku."

The only response to that was a grunt, but Aku's body did begin to fidget. The Doctor stepped back, giving the Saiyan some room. Aku lifted his head in a way that would have fooled someone watching into thinking he was drunk. His eyelids opened, his pupils still rolled back into his head.

"Hmmm…" mumbled the Doctor to himself.

_My head… my head is throbbing. What happened to me? _

Aku tried to go over the past events in his mind, but was unable to focus on anything because of the amazing amount of clout in his brain. Nothing made sense because everything was jumbled. Things that he had probably done years ago seemed like they had been done just last night. He couldn't even see right now, making him very fearful that he might have lost his vision.

_This can't be! Who could have… wait. I think I remember something… about my father…_

"So you do remember me," boomed a voice from everywhere at once. Aku tried to take a defensive stance but seemingly tripped and fell on his side. Something was messing with his equilibrium. Everything was off and he still couldn't see. Aku tried to block it out, to concentrate. It was getting a little easier to do so, but he was still lost.

_Where are you? Show yourself!_

"I told you before. I will live as long as you are still alive. I am within you."

_Liar! Get out of my head! Your tricks won't work. I'll-"_

"You'll what? Kill me... you can't even see what's in front of you? You can't see what they've done to your mind. You expect to kill me?"

_I have before; I will again. You know you can't beat me._

Is that what you think? Gohan… you aren't as strong as you think you are.

_What? How dare you? I'll-_

Aku stopped. He was letting the enemy get under his skin again. His temper was going to put him at a disadvantage. He had to take control. The first thing to do was to stop arguing with the voice in his head…

_Why… am I listening to this voice in my head? It isn't real. It's a mind trick. I am too strong to fall for anything like this. They are trying to weaken me again. It won't work._

"It won't work." Aku stood up straight, rid of most of his weariness. The Doctor nodded, knowing that his patient had come around and shaken the affects of the drugs to a satisfactory degree. Aku would be able to move around well enough to keep from tripping over himself, but he would have to lay off of the fighting for a little bit.

"Good evening, Lord Aku. It is good to see you awake. I trust that your Saiyan healing ability will help your recovery along quickly. Please do remember that you are still heavily sedated. Although you may not be showing signs of it, your fighting skills will be hampered for the time being."

Aku flashed the poor man a look of death. His fighting skills were his most important trait to himself. Luckily it was at that time that the servant came back with the clothes and armor for Aku to wear.

"Leave me." The two did as told. Aku picked his garments up and proceeded to a nearby room to change.

The throne room was completely empty. No one had been in there for at least the last 15 minutes. Piccolo knew this because he had been observing it for that amount of time behind a pillar to the side. His target was in plain site; it was a golden holder atop the throne. To take it out would be child's play, but there was the problem.

"It's too easy." He grunted. His years of experience told him that if anyone left something that valuable out in the open, in plain site, and where it could easily be taken there had to be a good reason. It was most likely a trap.

"You know it's a trap," said a voice from the side. Piccolo craned his neck, looking over his shoulder to the right. Standing there was a woman in dark clothing, none of which he could make out at the time.

"What is your purpose here?" he demanded, reaching for his gun.

"You plan on using the dragonballs, correct?"

Piccolo was silent. He didn't want to give away what little of a plan there was left, but she seemed to already know it. Also, if she were going to give him away she could have done so already.

"My name is Maro. I am a self-trained ninja who wants nothing more than to defeat Aku and Zeus to rid the world of both of them. I tracked you here, watching your handiwork with the generator. Very good."

"Flattery does nothing for me."

"I can see that. No matter. I will help you get the dragonball. I have a feeling that once it's in your possession getting out of here will be a very tough thing to do."

Piccolo nodded. "Agreed. Any ideas?"

"You can always just walk up and grab it."

"…"

Maro closed her eyes, smirking. "Yes, I know. No sense of humor. Fine. We'll just have to knock it out from afar. Then we'll pick it up." Maro reached into the sash around her waist and pull out a small, thin knife no larger that her middle finger. From her spot behind the pillar she threw it backhanded. It hit its target, knocking the dragonballs backward out of the holder. It fell sharply to the floor, hitting the wall, hitting something behind the chair before rolling to the front. From there it headed to the middle of the room, where it stopped completely. Maro and Piccolo watched it for about five minutes before even allowing themselves to breath normally.

"I don't like it," said Piccolo again. It smells like a trap."

"Your right. Not even Zeus would be this careless. He's bound to have some sort of security to guard his most prized possession. Is it possible for that one to be a fake?"

Piccolo shook his head. "It's not his style. The dragon radar also says that's the one. There's no doubt about it; that's the real deal."

"Then we have to take that chance. I'll do it."

"…" Piccolo still didn't trust her completely, but if she went to retrieve it he could stay in the shadows and avoid detection. He still had to protect the dragonballs he had already found. "Alright."

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

The two of them froze behind their respective poles. They knew who that was. It was Zeus. He had entered from somewhere at the back of the room. The mammoth man strolled in as if he hadn't a care in the world and picked up the dragonball.

"It looks as if this dragonball has somehow gotten loose from its rightful place. Who could have done that?" Zeus searched the room with his eyes, twice going over the poles that hid Piccolo and Maro. All they could do was hold their breath; they couldn't chance being discovered.

"It's a good thing there's no one here. I might have to show them my incomprehensible power." As if to demonstrate to no one in particular Zeus let his power begin to show. His body was surrounded by the red glow created by the surge and it pulsated with each pore saturated by it.

Piccolo sighed slightly. They were as good as dead. All they could do was brace themselves as the force grew to be far too much and the inevitable explosion filled the room.

There was just no way. Yamcha scratched his head. It had to be a joke. That was it. It was a huge joke and all of the guards and everyone else were in on it.

Before him stood a 3 foot tall monkey. It… was an monkey. Nothing about it made it look any different than an monkey. Its power level was pathetic… about that of an monkey. Tien looked on from the side in the cage. All he could think of was that the power he sensed must have been someone else.

"This is crazy!" Yamcha yelled. "I will not fight an monkey!"

"You fool!" cried the monkey. "I am the great and powerful Monketa! You should bow down before me!"

"…What?" Yamcha was more confused then ever. Not only did the monkey talk but it was loud and obnoxious. Not a good mix.

"Bow down before me! This will be my glorious return to power and no one will stop me! I am the great and powerful Lord Monketa! Welcome your new master! There will…" By this time Yamcha had fallen asleep, unable to keep listening to the random babble of Monketa.

"Stand aside!" demanded Magus, coming in from behind and pushing Yamcha out of the way, waking him up. Magus didn't waste anytime. With one finger forward he produced a spark of energy.

"What are you doing, you fool?" yelped Monketa. "You can't do- "

"Weakling." Magus let loose the spark that vaporized the ape. Yamcha was speechless.

"The winner… Magus!"

"Get out of the way, kid. You don't have what it takes to get through here." Yamcha wanted badly to reply but the guards came to take him back to the cage. They shoved him back in with Tien and Talon.

"So much for the plan," said Yamcha. "There was no stopping him. He's going to get himself killed, and WHAT'S WITH THE APE?"

Talon shrugged. Tien just blinked. Neither really knew what the hell had just happened, but the bottom line was that Magus was now the fighter in the arena. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen.

"I tire of waiting." Magus folded his arms over his chest. "Find me a suitable opponent."

Tien shook his head. "His arrogance…doesn't that remind you of someone?"

"If you are talking about the high-and-mighty prince then yes." Yamcha ran his hand through his hair. "I don't think one room could hold both of their egos."

"Now for…." The announcer stopped short, talking to an attendant that had just approached him. They conversed for about 10 seconds before the attendant left. The announcer faced the crowds again. "Ladies and gentlemen. It seems that we have a change in the format of today's contest. There will be only one more opponent."

"What?" gasped Yamcha, Tien, and Talon at the same time.

"If this opponent loses our fighters will win the match. Here is the final combatant!" The columns doors closed violently, causing a shock wave that raced through the crowd. Magus stood as if nothing were happening. His composure was a bit unsettling.

"He's too cocky for his own good," said Tien, thinking out aloud. He's going to get hurt.

Slowly the column doors began to open again, revealing the figure inside. He wore baggy jet-black pants with black and purple boots. His upper torso was covered by a jet-black tank top. His body was ripped with muscles, yet sleek and seemingly very agile. Plus he had long purple hair.

"It's Trunks!" yelled Yamcha.

"…No" cried Tien.

The familiar man stepped forth, looking much like he had before. Then his power began to show. It was clearly different. Waves of black energy began to engulf his body. His arms bulged and strained against the power, trying not to break apart. The scene was awe inspiring to everyone… except for Magus. He looked disgusted.

"Turnks…"

"…"

"It seems that they have attempted to bring out your true power." Magus tossed his cape aside, it hitting the ground with a loud thud giving a hint to its weight. "So be it."

Trunks said nothing. His only concern at the moment was containing the awesome power within his body. Magus' words fell on deaf ears. It didn't matter either way. Magus was talking more for himself than anyone else.

"What do you think he is up to?" asked Talon.

Yamcha shook his head. "I don't know. This guy is just kind of weird. How does he know Trunks?"

Magus reached for his head and pulled. The upper part of his armor crashed to the ground. He did the same with the two leg pieces. Everyone in the arena, including the announcer, was confused as to what he was attempting to do. Magus' armor looked like an integral part of his suit. While a dark blue body suit could be seen, it didn't have the same level of protection as the armor that had preceded it.

"Trunks… I have lost an entire planet to the likes of a tyrant once before. Their bloodshed was left unavenged with his death. I have seen my own son die before my very eyes, a death which I was powerless to stop. I can once again see history trying to repeat itself. They have attempted to steal your soul. Pain is something Saiyan warriors grow accustomed to. Pain you will deal with on your own. However no one in this universe will steal my son from me while I am alive and without a fight."

"Oh my god…" started Tien.

Magus reached up and took his helmet off, revealing none other than the prince of the Saiyans himself, Vegeta.

"Trunks, from the day I met you I have wanted to test my skills against you. Despite your strengths you still do not understand the ways of true evil. I don't know what they have done to you, but rest assured that after this fight I will find out. Zeus is behind this; of this I am sure. He will die, and by my hands alone. In the meantime…" Vegeta paused, extending a hand with the palm facing up. He then motioned for Trunks to come to him. "In the meantime… bring it."

.

Conclusion

Magus' true identity has been revealed as Vegeta. That makes the first true match in the Battle Arena a family affair. Round one of Vegeta vs. Trunks next time. Things aren't going too well for Piccolo and Maro. Zeus has them cornered and it's only a matter of time before he starts to show his power in a more direct way. Will they ever make it out alive? Gohan and Krillan have reunited to take care of the Sanctuary, but what of Hunter and Kale? Are they even still alive? Answers in the next episode of "Shells and Shadows!"

Next Episode: Betrayal?


	7. Episode 7 Betrayal

**Shells And Shadows**

Episode 7 – Betrayal?

Midway Conclusion

Krillan ran into the main room of the Sanctuary first. He made a beeline for Bulma's podium. Once there he waited at the base for about a minute. Nothing happened. By this time Bulma would have greeted him or in some way made her presence know.

"This isn't good." Krillan said to himself, a worried tone in his voice. Something had happened to Bulma. If her downloaded personality were damaged in any way there would be no chance of having her reclaim her body. The thought of it sent shivers down Krillan's spine. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Gohan came in just moments later, already sensing that something had gone wrong.

"She's not here, Gohan. The building might have been hit by a stray blast, but I don't remember seeing any damage on the outside. It just doesn't make sense." It was then that Krillan saw the look on Gohan's face, the faraway look. He wasn't focusing on what was in front of him.

"Krillan…" He stopped.

"What is it, Gohan?"

"Krillan… I can't feel Hunter's chi anymore…" A silence rushed over them both. The possibility that they had over estimated Hunter's fighting ability that much hung over their heads like dead weight. If he had died while protecting the city from Kale they would hold themselves responsible.

"Gohan… don't jump to conclusions. If Hunter is hurt he might not be able to focus his energy enough to be detected. Go ahead and try to find him. I'll see what I can do here."

"Hai!" Gohan was out the door in a flash. Krillan sighed, knowing full well that Hunter could be dead. It wasn't something that he would take lightly, but he could only focus on one thing at a time. Bulma was the main priority right now. Krillan approached the console on the base and began typing in commands. Something had to show up on the screen. Not to long after started Krillan halted his typing, sensing the person behind him… and it wasn't Gohan.

"So you did it." Krillan balled his fist up, gritting his teeth. Back now to the console Krillan faced Syther, who held a small, thick disk in his hand. "What did you do? Upload a virus?"

"Not at all. Miss Bulma is safely within this disk, unharmed. Would you like her to stay that way?"

The anger and frustration bled over Krillan's face. Every muscle in his body ached for him to unleash one good punch to the chin, but to do so would endanger his friend. For the time being he had to play it cool.

"Of course you would," said Syther, answering his own question. "All you have to do is show me a little blood."

"What?" Krillan took a step back, but it didn't make a difference. Syther covered the amount of ground between them in a mere second, driving one of his claws deep within Krillan's chest. There was no chance to dodge. Krillan tried to gasp, but couldn't. Syther simply pulled his claw out and shook off the excess blood.

"You disgust me. Be gone!" Syther planted a vicious kick right into Krillan's stomach, launching him backward into the podium. It snapped in two, exploding in a fiery blast. Syther tilted his head up, satisfied by the carnage. Holding the disk carefully he retreated out of the door and disappeared. Krillan laid on the floor among the shards of metal and the broken pieces, clinging to life.

"Gohan…"

Rocks. A graveyard of rocks. That was all that was left. Anything that had the unfortunate luck to be within the blast radius of Kale's attack was no more, transformed in the most violent of fashions into rubble. Gohan came upon this graveyard instantly knowing that his search would start there. He didn't waste anytime; he dove right in. Mounds of them moved away in seconds. Even then the task seemed daunting. Gohan made sure not to direct his loads in the direction of any survivors. Trading lives was not an option.

Gohan continued parting the seas as fast as he could. For all he knew his friend was dying, calling out to him in a voice too weak to produce any sound at all. That drove him to move faster and faster still.

"Gohan…"

He froze. That hadn't been a voice in his head. It was Hunter. He was nearby.

"Hunter! Where are you?" Gohan shifted through the rubble as quickly as he could, finding nothing but more rock.

"We… over here…" Hunter's voice trailed off. Gohan frantically escalated his search, not wanting the worst case to happen. He wasn't going to let anyone die. He wasn't!

"There!" he yelled, almost startling himself. He had finally felt something other than rock. It was cloth, the kind that Hunter wore. Gohan cleared away the wall of stones, finding Hunter clutching onto something with his body.

"Gohan… help… her…" Hunter's grip finally gave way and he fell unconscious.

"Hunter? Hunter!" Gohan pulled him up quickly. As he did another body began visible that wasn't before. Gohan reached in and grabbed the second person. It was Kale. There was no time to waste. He would ask questions later. For now they both had to go to the hospital and get treatment. Gohan blasted off for the hospital at full-speed, determined to save everyone.

Once again Aku was in deep thought. The visions of his father that he kept having were disturbing him. Why did they keep appearing? Who was responsible? He has already donned his clothing. He wore baggy, dark purple pants with bare feet. A loose, dark purple sleeveless shirt with rips in the armholes. On his arms there were long, dark purple, padded wrist guards that extended almost to the elbow.

_I need to concentrate more than ever before. I must focus._

Aku sat down on the floor in the darkened room and began to meditate. As he started the thought flashed through is head 'When was the last time I did this?'

No sooner had he started, though, he heard a large explosion. From the direction he knew it was Zeus.

_He never quits; always blowing someone or something up. It's annoying._

Aku started to get back to his mediation when he noticed something else. In the same area where Zeus was there were two other life signs. He couldn't make them out just yet but he could tell that they were very strong. The blast had been fairly large and no normal person would have survived. Still they were probably close to dead.

"He's started a fight with an opponent and not given me a chance." Aku stood up. Meditation wasn't for him. Fighting was. The Doctor's words loomed over him, but he didn't care. No one was in his league anyway. He could beat most of them with half his power.

"It's time to get a bit of exercise." He headed for the door. His destination: the throne room.

Trunks smirked evilly before charging. His speed was uncanny. Vegeta knew it would be faster, but he still only barely defended himself against the wild clothesline. They bounced off of each other diagonally before both charging at each other again. This time Vegeta rolled under a point blank blast by Trunks. The energy ripped along the floor of the arena and hit an invisible barricade. Vegeta jumped back to put some distance between himself and his son. That last attack had bad intentions.

_He is vicious now… almost like I was. The true destiny of a Saiyan… to be killed by his own son._

Despite Vegeta's tactic Trunks didn't want to waste anytime. In almost a rage he powered up to Super Saiyan level and crashed into Vegeta's stomach with a head butt. The only response to that was a gasp for air. Trunks followed up with an uppercut to the chin. He flew above the prone body of Vegeta, spun around once, and clobbered him on the back of the head with an unorthodox kick. Vegeta spiraled to the ground headfirst, almost drilling himself in.

"You aren't so tough," grumbled Trunks in a low, possessed voice. "You can't compare to my power."

Vegeta pulled himself out of the ground, breathing only slightly harder. "So you can talk."

Trunks gave him a stern look. "Do you really think that you can fight me with a clear conscience?"

Vegeta shot the look back at him. "Do you really think that you can beat me even if I couldn't?"

"Humph." His hand whipped around, carrying a surprise attack. Vegeta caught it with one hand, using it to pivot around. Doing so led him right into Trunks' knee. The crushing blow nearly broke Vegeta's nose. He took an awkward step to the side, unable to regain his balance. Trunks circled around him once, waiting for the right moment, and then rushed into with one more knee to the stomach.

"Sh-" Vegeta couldn't squeeze out any more air to finish his curse.

"You-" Trunks grabbed his father by the back of the head, smirked once more, and then drove Vegeta's face straight into the ground. "Are weak. Why bother fighting when you know you cannot win?"

"You haven't won yet. "

The ground began to rumble. Trunks steadied himself on the uneven surface, but was still having problems staying on his feet. A low growl coursed through his lungs. As the ground continued to shake the Saiyan Prince began to glow, the sweet yellow aura of a Super Saiyan taking over his body. He began to float up diagonally, returning to his feet.

Vegeta never made eye contact with Trunks, nor did he ever bother to look in his direction. "You shouldn't be just sitting there. You just lost your chance to attack."

A newly enraged Trunks lunged at his tormentor with a fist, but the blatant attack was stopped with one hand. With leverage on his side Vegeta began to crush the very bones inside of the fingers in his grip. Trunks instinctively grabbed his wrist, half trying to pull his hand away from the pain and half trying to dull it out with pressure from his own. It wasn't working. He tried with all of his might, but Trunks ended up on one knee. No sooner had he touched down, though, he popped back up with intentions on kicking himself free. Vegeta moved back to avoid the attack.

" My move." Trunks once again threw his body in Vegeta direction, arms reared back behind his head with evil intentions. Vegeta surprised him by dashing forward, arms cocked backward in a lower position. At the point where they met both unleashed their energy; Trunks into Vegeta's exposed face, and Vegeta into Trunks' unprotected gut. The Saiyan Prince was driven right into the ground by the force of the blow. Trunks was blown into the sky where he hovered for a few moments before crashing into the ground.

"Oh my!" yelled the announcer over the P.A. system. "These guys are awesome. Magus is taking it to the warrior Trunks! I don't think I've been this excited in years! Oh my god!" The crowd cheered insanely as the fighters started to get up. Yamcha and Tien watched with Talon from their cage.

"Vegeta's going all out on Trunks. What's gotten into him?" Yamcha scratched his head.

"I don't know," answered Tien, "It's weird, but this might be the chance we need. We can take out the rest of the guards. There aren't that many. All we need to do is get out of the cage." Tien tested the bars. They were pretty strong, but they could break them with a little work.

"If you plan on breaking out I can help," said Talon.

"How?"

"Like this." She raised her hand, which was instantly covered with a red glowing beam resembling a sword or knife. She swiped at the cage bars, which resisted as much as paper to a flamethrower. Both Yamcha and Tien were a bit stunned. She held a finger up, wagging it at the both of them. "Before you say anything… you never asked."

"…" Yamcha looked at Tien. "I guess she has a point."

"Right." Talon crawled through the new holes opened in the cage. Doing so put her face to face with a Furlan. They stared at each other for a second before it turned its back to her, pretending to be looking at something else.

"I guess that means we have a free pass out of here." Yamcha was the next through. Tien followed soon thereafter.

On the battlefield Trunks was now to his feet, but his upper torso was hanging limp in front of him. A low, raspy groan filled his throat and lungs as he body rocked up and down with his rhythmic breathing. The next second Vegeta was over him, ready to lay a punch into his back. There was no one there at the contact point; the fist made its impact on the floor. Trunks then appeared in front of Vegeta, smiling the whole time. His hand landed on the cheek, although more of a slap than anything. The two began exchanging blows while rising into the air, neither able to win on the offense side. The crowd, however, couldn't care less. They cheered anyway. The announcer had even stopped calling the action, as he was far too engrossed in it to worry about explaining it to anyone else.

At the peak of their assent the two parted, Vegeta threw an orb, which was stopped by another one returned by Trunks. Vegeta created two more, both larger than the last, throwing them consecutively after one another. Trunks grabbed the first one with his hand and threw it through his legs. The second one stopped abruptly in front of him and then exploded, flashing a blinding light in Trunks' wide-open eyes. The pain surged through his head and he covered up, but it was too late. That, and he left himself open for a devastating right hook. Trunks plummeted to the ground. Vegeta stayed in the air, a look of distain on his face. He said nothing, only cupped his hands at his side. Swirls of purple began to draw themselves into his palms, mixing with the black energy already there.

"Where- where are you?" demanded Trunks. He couldn't concentrate; the light had screwed up his sense. He stumbled around, almost tripping multiple times. He could still feel Vegeta was close, but at the time it seemed like he was everywhere but nowhere in particular. Finally Trunks kneeled down to one knee to keep himself from looking stupid. The pain was dulling away. He would have control soon.

_I can fell him close. He is nearby. He is… above!_

Trunks opened his eyes, slowly, and allowed them to adjust to the light. It took a few seconds, but he was finally able to see again. What he saw wasn't good.

"What? No!"

"!" Vegeta forced his hands forward, expelling a massive beam of energy. "GALLIC GUN, FIRE!" The beam screamed forward, almost over taking Trunks completely. Unfortunately for Vegeta, Trunks did manage to get a return beam charged and fired before he was obliterated. His wave in was able to slow the progress of Vegeta's, but it was losing ground. Trunks growled, unable to express his extreme hatred for the position he was in. Vegeta's features were stone cold; not showing any emotion whatsoever.

"I will not be defeated!" Trunks screamed, almost at the top of his lungs as he increased the power input in his wave, evening out the battle and putting them in the same position. Everyone looked on in completely awe and excitement. What they didn't notice was that the guards, who were also watching the battle, where falling one by one. Talon, Tien, and Yamcha were quietly going about their business. Vegeta did not notice them, as his attention was completely on Trunks. His only desire was to win the battle, dispelling some personal demons.

"Trunks…" Over the roar of the crowd and the sound of the energy his son would have heard nothing he said anyway. Still Vegeta was slightly conflicted about using his full power to win the battle. If he did…

"Weak!" A substantial increase was delivered into Trunks' beam as Vegeta silently contemplated to himself. Quickly the tide changed against him and he cursed himself for allowing his mind to wander.

_He has seen my emotions. I cannot allow myself to make mental mistakes like this._

Despite the burden now on his shoulders Vegeta hesitated one more instant to use any more power to even out the battle. Still he realized that his son would not be vindicated if he did not survive. That fueled him enough to inject a new high into his own beam. They evened out again.

"Trunks… I will not let you die, but you will not kill me. A Saiyan's destiny… should not be to die by the hands of his own son. You… no… Zeus…." Vegeta eyed the face of Trunks very carefully. Slowly he could see it transforming to that of Zeus. The thought of it enraged him, nearly driving him off of the deep end. Zeus had taken so much from him. As the Prince of the Saiyans he was powerless to stop him… almost. Vegeta was certain that if he could use his full power he could defeat him, but that-"

"Now you die!" Trunks increased his beam ten-fold, almost instantly. Vegeta looked on, horrified, nearly yelling out. He had wavered again, and so soon. How could he allow that? It didn't matter now; it wouldn't be a problem when he was dead. There was no stopping it. Trunks' beam overtook the Gallic Gun and engulfed Vegeta. It exploded in a violent fashion, with Vegeta in the middle. The crowd became silent, watching to see if it were possible that he survived. His body falling to the ground, motionless and limply was enough answer for that.

Piccolo couldn't tell how much of the ceiling had fallen down on him, but he knew it was a lot. Maro had dived over to his position in an attempt to combine their powers to keep most of the building from actually falling down on them. It worked, but they were still buried under everything.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She had her arm over his shoulder. "Should we even try to dig ourselves out? He's probably waiting for that."

"He is, but if we don't he might try to kill us down here. I for one don't plan on dying in my grave." Piccolo began push the rocks up with his back. He focused his chi so that it was directed above him as well, producing double the efforts. It wasn't long before he found himself standing knee deep in the rubble instead of under it. Maro was up a few seconds later. Zeus was there too; he was waiting.

"So the intruders finally show themselves. That's just fine. I suppose you have come for the dragonball."

"No," said Piccolo. "I've come for you head."

"Interesting. How do you plan on going about getting it?" Zeus laid his arms to the side. "Are you going to fight me?"

"Gladly." Piccolo dropped into a defensive stance. Maro did the same. They knew that if they were to have a chance they were both going to have to go all out. Other than that they might as well give up now.

"I'll destroy you and your creation, Zeus," cried Maro. "You and Aku must die!"

Piccolo blinked once, knowing that Gohan was simply being controlled. He wouldn't kill the boy if it weren't necessary. It was a last resort. He would have to keep an eye on Maro if Aku showed up. Then again, they would have to fight just to survive if he showed up. All Piccolo could do was hope that the half-Saiyan wasn't nearby.

Aku walked through the hall. He had tried to run earlier, but his head was still woozy from his treatment. He had made a mental note to kill the doctor afterward. Still he made his way to the throne room. He was closing in when he began to feel Zeus' power rise again. The volume of it made him feel a bit weak, but he marched forth. Just one more corner.

_What…. Why can't I move? My body feels like it doesn't have anything left in it._

Aku stopped to rest, panting as if he had just sprinted a long distance. His head felt weird, like he was floating around. It didn't make sense.

Gohan…

"Dad?" Aku looked around, trying to find the source of the voice. "Dad, where are you?"

_Gohan… now is your chance. End this. You are free right now. Take this chance to break free for good._

"I can't, dad! I'm scared!" Aku clenched his fists, tears beginning to stream down his cheeks. "I don't know what has happened to me. Why have I-"

_Gohan. Zeus is directly responsible for the power controlling you. Now that he is using his power for other means he can't control you as well. Now you can use your power against him._

"I can… I feel it, dad."

_Good. You are close, son. All you have to do is concentrate._

"Right!" Aku said, a new determination over him. By an interesting turn of events it seemed that Gohan had once again taken control of his own body. If he acted now Zeus would never know until it was too late. It was settled. It was time for payback.

Maro and Piccolo were losing hope at a massive rate. Each had tried to advance on Zeus on more than one occasion, but neither had any luck. Zeus hadn't attacked them at all; he had kept them at bay by raising his power. It was too much for them to even get close.

"This isn't good," said Maro. "We are going to have to try something more powerful."

"Agreed." Piccolo now retrieved his gun, ready to make some fireworks. Instead of firing, though, he let the mechanism inside steadily drain his energy, building it up inside. Maro interlocked her fingers, allowing the last three to point to the sides while the index and thumb pointed up. She began to mumble some words to herself. Swirls of pink and purple energy started to collect around the tips of her index fingers. The ball grew to the size of a large fist before completing and floating above her head. The process began again after that. Piccolo couldn't believe that she could use her energy.

_How… how can she? The generator…_

"Well this should be interesting," said Zeus, keeping his barrier in place. He began to laugh at the feeble efforts being put forward by Maro and Piccolo. He didn't notice that Aku had made his way to the doorway.

Now… he's occupied. He doesn't know that I'm here. That's just fine.

Aku cupped his hands at his side, beginning the process that he had used so many times before. What a fitting way to introduce himself to Zeus! Still he kept his voice low to keep himself from being detected.

"Kaaaaaaaaaaa…"

By now Maro had created for large energy spheres and was working on her fifth. Piccolo's attack was reaching critical mass and almost exploding out of the gun chamber. Both were just a few moments away from being ready to unleash. What effect they would have was yet to be seen.

The Kamehameha wave was nearing completion as well. Aku would be ready to attack at the same time as Maro and Piccolo. His head was completely clear now; he knew what to do. Zeus must have been completely oblivious to his presence. Perfect.

"It will be a shame to see such potential warriors wasted away in this slaughter," stated Zeus. "But it seems as if you are determined to be destroyed. Attack if you must; it will be you last." He cocked his head just a bit, noticing someone else in the room. It was then that he saw Aku. His face began to curl up in anger before he composed himself. Immediately he dropped all of his previous power until he was at normal level again.

"He's unprotected!" yelled Maro, opening her eyes. She touched the bottoms of her hands together and the energy spheres began to collect in the space in front of them.

Piccolo strained to pour as much power into his blast as he could. He was going to make it count. "So-"

Aku had reached his limit. It was ready. He thrust his hands forward, ready to unleash an untold force on Zeus when a feeling that could only be described as a spike plunging into his brain caused him to alter the course of his beam. To his dismay it headed right for Piccolo. The Namek hadn't even released his own beam yet, but he was in no position to defend against it. It ripped into him, throwing him violently and carelessly against the wall behind. Maro peeked over her should briefly to check on him. Zeus took that as a weakness and swung his arm at her, firing a wave. Maro managed to use her energy as a shield, but the force of it still launched her to the same wall. She slumped to the bottom of the structure.

"No… so close…" Maro tried to stand, but she was hopelessly low on energy. Zeus only frowned at her.

"My dear, you made a mistake coming here. Don't worry, though. I will make sure that Aku makes you pay for it. Aku, be a good soldier and kill this one."

Aku walked into the room, showing a familiar cocky look on his face. He cracked his knuckles and his neck, getting himself ready. "I remember you. You were that girl who hit me when I wasn't looking. It was you."

Piccolo glanced at Maro after hearing Aku's words, knowing that it was true. He hadn't realized it before, but she was the one responsible for the attack on just about everyone.

"I'm… sorry, Piccolo. I was consumed by hatred for Aku. I didn't want anyone to kill him but me. I had no intention on hurting you or anyone else… I just wanted him." Bracing her back against the wall Maro was able to push her way to her feet.

"That' really touching… no, wait. I'm lying." Blazing across the room Aku froze, hand forward, right in front of Piccolo. He pointed his palm right between the Namek's eyes. "This is what I plan to do to you." He then turned to Piccolo, making sure they were eye to eye. "Buh bye."

"No!" she yelled. Aku fired a pointblank blast that engulfed Piccolo's entire body. The wall was unable to take the pressure and he was forcefully pushed through it and many more after. His body didn't stop until it crashed into the castles last wall and barreled through, leaving him outside amidst all of the boulders and stones he had collected along the way. Inside the castle the spot where Piccolo had been blown through was still smoking.

Aku smiled, very happy with his work. He never really did like the color green. He stood up, pretending that he didn't know Maro was there. "Well… that was fun. I haven't done something that fun… well… since the last time I killed someone."

"You monster!" Maro jumped back, moving back to her defensive position.

"Well you are welcome to try, but just remember we've got plenty of walls left." Aku settled into his fighting position. "You'll get your turn soon enough."

The hospital was now the resting place of heroes. Gohan had Hunter and Kale placed inside healing tanks as soon as he arrived. Right after that he went back to help Krillan. That was when he saw the carnage left behind just moments after he had left the first time. Examining the marks on his friend as he transported him to the hospital Gohan knew who he was looking for. Syther now had his full attention. Krillan managed to tell him that Syther had Bulma's personality disk on him so he would have to be a bit careful, but Gohan was thinking about less than nice things.

"Are they going to be okay?" asked Gohan. The nurse nodded cheerfully.

"You brought them back just in time. They will be fine. Are you okay? You aren't going out hurt, are you?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Okay. Don't worry about them. I'll keep an eye on them." She walked away to check on the tanks. Gohan turned around and exited the room. He left the hospital, an empty feeling in his gut. Anger swelled in his veins. Revenge was on his mind. There was only one problem; where was Syther? Gohan decided that he would not rest until he found him and punished him for what he had done. With rage guiding him Gohan blasted off through one of the hidden exits in search of his prey. Syther had hurt his last victim.

Conclusion

Gohan seems to be losing friends left and right. Krillan is down, suffering an attack from Syther. Hunter is out of commission from trying to save Kale. Now Gohan leads a one-man war to rid he world of the psychopath but first he has to find him. Trunks has used his dark power and unclouded judgment to win the battle against Vegeta. If he has killed his father, what fate awaits Yamcha, Tien, and Talon? Aku showed signs of his true self, the boy he once was. Zeus ended that quickly and turned him against Piccolo. The one-time friends are now separated by death and Maro is left to fend for herself against both Zeus and Aku. Does she have a chance of survival against such odds? And what of the dragonballs that Piccolo had carried with him? Who will claim them? Things are getting serious now. Be ready for the next episode of Shells and Shadows.

Next Episode: Retribution


	8. Episode 8 Retribution

**Shells And Shadows**

Episode 8 – Retribution

Midway Conclusion

No one could believe it. The battle had been short and sweet. Trunks and the warrior Magus had fought one of the most intense battles in Arena history. Although Magus looked to be doing well, Trunks found a way to summon enough energy to take him out. Now Magus was all but dead, lying helplessly on the floor. Trunks was still standing, barely. His body sucked in air as if it were addicted to it. Trunks was all but wiped out.

"Never again…" He shook his head, his cranium starting to buzz. He ran his hand through his purple hair, laying it over the back of his head. Things were starting to get clearer now. The last thing he remembered was something about a room with an old man mumbling under his breath. Now he was in what looked like a coliseum. How that happened was anyone's guess.

"The winner… Trunks!" called the announcer, once again remembering that he had a job to do. The crowd cheered and clapped, showing their gratitude for a well-fought fight. Trunks couldn't understand what it was that they were so happy about. What had happened?

_Something's going on. I don't like it._

Searching for anything out of the ordinary or something to explain the current situation Trunks started to walk around the battlefield. It wasn't long before he came over the body of Vegeta.

"Father… what has happened to you?" Trunks knelt down and picked his father up in his arms. Vegeta lay limp, his head hanging backward. Trunks had almost lost hope when Vegeta coughed once and his head bounced upward slightly.

"Trunks…"

"Father! What has happened? Who did this to you?"

"…" Vegeta was quiet for a moment. Trunks was not like him. He would react differently to the truth. Who did this? His own son. Trunks wouldn't be able to live with himself. Vegeta was having enough problems hanging on to life. He didn't need his son grieving about him.

There were now a number of people entering from the side of the battlefield. From the looks of them Trunks figured that they were paramedics. They were in fact the Furlan coming to help. Trunks turned back to his father, now showing a look of concern and determination.

"Father… who did this to you?"

"… Aku… Zeus." That was all he managed to say. Vegeta became limp once again, unable to support himself. The Furlan arrived with a stone slab. Trunks picked his father up and carefully placed him on top of it. The Furlan then began a quick trot out, bringing Vegeta to receive treatment. The audience started chatting about the recent turn of events; even the announcer was confused. No warrior had ever actually been giving treatment. The guards surely…

"Where are all of the guards?" wondered the announcer aloud.

"They're on vacation," answered Yamcha, who leaned on the man's shoulder. "They needed some time off. They really were pretty wimpy. It's a wonder that none of the fighters ever decided just to put them in their place."

"Well they are now," said Tien. "Don't worry; we won't hurt you. All we want is to get back home. How do we get back to earth?"

"Oh. You can't." He shrugged his shoulders, accenting his words.

"Why not?"

He cleared his throat. "Zeus is the only one who can authorize a ship to transport winners back home. Without permission from him there is no person in this galaxy who will give you a ship to get home."

Yamcha sighed. "Bummer."

"I'm sorry. As it is now your team still has to defeat Trunks in order to win a chance to go home. Do you know which one of you will go next?"

Tien stepped forward, cracking his neck. "I'll go. I have the best chance at beating him."

"Best chance," snapped Yamcha. "You can't beat Trunks- that's suicide."

"Maybe, but if we don't' fight him how do you expect to ever get home? Personally I don't want to stay here forever. We have unfinished business on earth. We haven't been back to the City in a long time. Who knows if it's even standing."

"Don't say that, Tien. That would be horrible."

"I don't want to think it, Yamcha, but it's possible. That's why we have to get back."

At that moment Trunks approached the group. His demeanor was much more calm and reserved now. "There is no need to fight- I quit."

The announcer was completely shocked. "Why would you quit? You are doing so well and the crowd loves you. You can win, even if the odds are against you."

"Maybe, but these are my friends. We have no reason to fight. I am on their side. Therefore they don't have to fight me. If I was the last person as you just said then that should be the end of it. Now you can send us all home."

"I'm sorry. I can't do that just yet. We have the door ceremony to perform first."

"The what?"

The announcer cleared his throat again. "The door ceremony. Basically you choose from two doors. One door is empty. It leads to the outside where there will be a ship waiting for you. It will take you home, or wherever you would like to be dropped off. The second door will be stoned off, completely inaccessible beyond the door itself. If you choose that door you must fight one more battle to win freedom. You must fight Zeus.

_Zeus…_

That name… it was evil. Trunks had hated it long ago. In essence, that very name was responsible for the death of his mother. With her conversion to the computer in the Sanctuary of Hope and Protection, Bulma was no longer able to be just Bulma. She had to become the last hope for the people of earth. Admirable, but not what Trunks would have hoped for.

"She gave everything…"

That wasn't all that name had done. It has also driven his father to near seclusion. Spending time with his father usually meant Trunks would have to do it on his time, in the gravity room. It was okay with him. Anytime he had to spend with Vegeta was good. Now that had been taken away. Vegeta saw no one, not even his son. He rarely ever talked to Bulma. He couldn't cope with her decision. Zeus had done that as well.

The name had gone out of its way to instill fear among those who were able to survive the initial onslaught. They were terrified of him, making living a constant fear. Some took their own lives rather than worry about being captured and put to work for him. Others simply cowered away. That wasn't any way to live. Trunks was angered by what he saw and that name was responsible.

"Trunks… " Tien had noticed his friend daydreaming, or possibly just deep in thought. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, snapping out of his thinking. "I'm fine." He looked at the announcer. "You said something about two doors, right? One to leave, one for Zeus?"

"Ye- yes. Two doors. If-"

"Good," interjected Trunks. He didn't need the entire story over again. "I'll tell you right now that you don't need to bother with the doors. You can send these guys home. I want to challenge Zeus."

Those words were more than a bit shocking to everyone within earshot. The announcer in particular, as he was unable to keep himself from fainting.

The area around the City of Hope was calm. From afar one would not be able to tell of the carnage that the city had been through in the past couple of hours. Its inhabitants had been in a fight for their lives. Thankfully no one was killed, but there were casualties of sorts: both Hunter and Krillan were out of action. The culprit in at least one of the attacks was Syther. He was the target of Super Saiyan Son Gohan.

Finding Syther wouldn't be easy, especially if he didn't want to be found. For some reason, however, Gohan didn't think that was the case. While actually locating the psychopath would be hard he was sure that it would happen. They would meet soon.

_He must be trying to lure me out somewhere. Why didn't he just fight me before?_

Gohan froze in mid air when he sensed something below. He had been coasting along, not paying attention to where he was going. He had ended up in a desert region, vacant of all life. All around he was surrounded by sand dunes and what looked like ancient stone structures. There was no doubt about it; Syther was there.

"Show yourself, Syther!" Gohan's voice brimmed with anger and frustration. He wasn't about to hide his feelings. Still he received no response. Gohan slowly descended to the ground, making sure that no surprise attacks took him out of commission. He touched down lightly and scanned the area with his eyes. Nothing…

"The son of Goku reborn…" The voice had bounced off of the many walls surrounding Gohan so he couldn't be sure of where its origin was.

A stern look crossed Gohan's face. He was becoming very irritated. "Show yourself…"

This time his call was answered. Syther emerged from behind a rock wall directly in front of Gohan. He didn't approach, though; he leaned up against it and then gazed into the sky. "Son Gohan… you are becoming a nuisance. The master would like you to be taken care of."

"Go ahead and try, but I'm not the one who is going to lose this time. I know your tricks."

Syther held his arms out to the sides. "I do no use tricks, Son Gohan. I am a skilled assassin, and I take pride in devouring my foes with my blades." He pointed the three-bladed claw at Gohan's face. "You will be the next one to feel their sting."

An intense hatred for Syther welled up in Gohan's body. Just the site of him made Gohan want to unleash the most powerful attack he had. Syther, though, would be too smart for that and would be ready to move. Gohan gritted his teeth, seething. "When I get done with you…"

The psychopathic warrior grinned. "It is you who is done, Son Gohan. My one purpose in coming to this planet was to test my steel against your flesh. Zeus might have Aku, but you, my friend, are mine."

Maro clenched her fist, laying it softly against her head. For less than a year this had been her ambition. All she wanted was to defeat Aku. Her dead parents' memory fueled her desire to increase her already intense training. Once just wishing to test her skills against the best, she now lived to use those skills to end the life of her tormentor; Aku

Flashback

"Hiya!" Maro's padded foot struck the sand bag again. Sweat pounced off of her leg, some landing on the red bag and some on the blue mats. Maro's white gi was of traditional sort, except for the brown belt that tied it together. The belt wasn't actually a belt, but a tie. Years ago when she had begun martial arts training she had taken one of her father's ties by mistake, getting dressed in the dark. Once she found out she thought it was so funny that she kept it. Now it was more of a symbol, a driving force. Her father, a modest, hard working craftsman, was always proud of his daughter's enthusiasm. Still she felt that she needed to push herself to the next level to show him what she was made of. That was always Maro's way.

One day her father told her that he was going to be expanding one of the rooms in the house into their overly large backyard. Maro and her mother would be going on a trip so that they would not be disturbed by the work. It was nearly three weeks before she was able to go back home but when she did Maro found a surprise that she wasn't ready for. Her father had created a small hallway stretching from the backdoor to the new room in the backyard. Most of the area had been used, save a place for a small cookout near the front. When Maro finally saw the room she was stunned. What she had been told would be a game room for the family was actually a training room equipped with bags, weights, dummies, and everything that a training martial artist (from a craftsman's point of view) could want. The joy in her heart could not be expressed.

"I love you daddy!" she cried, giving him a bear hug that would have made a convincing attack. All he could do was laugh and give her one in return, lifting her up in the air and twirling her around.

"I love you too." He put her down and beckoned her to get a feel for the place. He had moved all of her normal training gear to the new room. He had even installed a small and modest shower near the back. Maro couldn't believe the amount of work that he had gotten done so quickly. It must have been a plan for a long time. After the initial shock subsided Maro began to feel a sense of debt. This wonderful gift could not go unrewarded. Having very little money didn't matter; there was no way to pay back for something like this. Instead she would increase her training twice over, showing her father and everyone else that this was not wasted work. Maro would make him proud to call her his daughter.

Every day she found her way into this room. Sometimes she brought a small stereo with her when she just wanted to relax. She invited friends over to spar with her and that took up most of their time. Constantly in battle, Maro found it easy to refine her skills and get better. One day her father walked in on one of these sparring sessions. He watched as Maro defeated a girl that she had long considered her superior. After the match when both were done and catching her breath Maro heard a single person clapping in the background. It was the second happiest day of her life.

Maro continued to practice in her mini-dojo. Another year passed and it was about this time that she had begun to awaken the chi within. She had never experienced such a thing and didn't know it was even possible. The possibility of another skill to master intrigued her and made her intense practice sessions fresh again. She had already discovered the way to fly, which nearly caused her injury the first time she used it (she almost hit a wall). Now she was working on developing her first chi attack.

On a day like any other mid-year day Maro found her way back into her dojo. Sometime in the day she began to hear a lot of noise and movement outside. Wondering the reason she exited the dojo still dripping in sweat from her practice session. It was then that she first learned of the arrival of Zeus' henchmen. They were above the houses, destroying them one by one. Maro would never forget that day.

Fear overtook her mind and body. There were so many of them using a skill that she had just begun to master. What could she possibly do? Maro's head began to spin and nothing made any sense until she found herself hugging the floor when the house beside her was blown to bits… her house.

As Maro collected her thoughts and made her way to her feet she realized what had just happened. That wasn't the end of it either. Everything else seemed to fade into the background as she saw a figure slumped over the window not far from her. It was her mother.

"…Mommy?" Maro would not allow the worst-case scenario to cross her mind. All she could do was slowly walk over to her mother. The house had been destroyed, but it had not exploded itself. She pulled her mother out of the window and laid her down across the ground. If tended to immediately her mother could survive. Maro started to bring her to a hospital when another thought stung the back of her mind. Where was her father?

"Daddy?" With reckless abandon she jumped through the window and searched the house. It was relatively intact considering the blast it took. There was an air of emergency around her that went above and beyond the current attack situation. Maro heard her father's voice in the basement. Her skipped a beat; he was still alive.

"Maro…" his voice weakly called out. After that there was nothing.

"Daddy! I'll be right there!" Maro placed her hand on the doorknob. That was when the second blast hit.

Once again she was slow getting up. Maro wasn't used to being knocked around like she had been. When her vision cleared she noticed that she was now down about 15 to 20 feet deeper than she had been before. The floor had fallen through where she had been standing. Maro searched with her eyes, looking for any signs of her father.

"So what do we have here?" bellowed a loud and obnoxious person. "A man and his wife, trying to escape. Not on my shift." The next sound was much like those that had preceded the other blasts. Maro raced through the house to the outside, making it there just in time to see her mother laying dead on the ground, the victim of one of the soldiers. Extreme sorrow overwhelmed her. She collapsed on her mothers body, crying.

"Isn't that pretty? The little girl wants to join mommy." The soldier laughed obscenely. "Don't worry. You'll get your chance, but daddy goes first."

"What?" Maro's head shot up, still full of tears. She saw the soldier, levitating above, holding her father by the collar with one hand. The other hand was placed on his forehead.

"Say buh bye!" There was no time to react. Everything happened so quickly. The next few minutes were a bit of a blur. Maro rushed over to her father, but she knew it was too late. The soldier had discarded the body to the ground as if it were trash. She cradled her father in her arms, still wishing him to life. It didn't happen, and the feeling of completely loss finally set in on her. Had nothing else happened she would have been set to sit there and grieve over her parents and nothing more.

"Now it's your turn, sweet cheeks."

Maro's head rose, her eyes now red from the tears she had shed. A strange sensation had begun to fill her insides. On top of all that was the anger that was finally beginning to show. The soldier that had killed her father was now behind her, lifting her into the air as if she were some kind of doll.

"Do you have any last words?" He asked mockingly. Maro responded with an elbow to his face. The shot instantly broke his nose. The intense pain rendered him useless and he finally passed out. It didn't take long for all of the soldiers to notice what had happened. Now they had their sites set on her.

"You just made a big mistake!" yelled one of them. Maro did not reply, still feeling the anger boil up inside. She simply turned to him, raising the palm of her hand so that it was pointing at him. With an eerie calmness Maro fired her first chi attack on another person ever. It was very effective. The second soldier of the bunch finally fell to the ground, out of commission. The rest of them wasted no time in charging. They numbered 10 in all. In about three seconds of energy blasts, straight martial arts, and street fighting they numbered 0.

The area was now quiet, but that did nothing to help Maro. She had lost her parents, her most dearly treasured possessions in her life. The dojo behind the house had taken a few stray hits, but it was still basically in working order. That was good, because it was going to be her new home. Maro would find what she could of her former belongings and bring them to the dojo. She planned to spend a lot of time there; after all, when you are training to kill the person responsible for the death of your parents you have to put forth the effort.

_I am now in the position I have been waiting for since that day. I have yearned for the chance to fight Aku. Although this might not be the neutral ground that I had hoped for I still have my chance. Right now my chances seem bleak. Aku killed Piccolo without so much as a real thought. I'm certain it would take as much to do the same to me, especially with my power drained from blocking Zeus' attack. I'm going to have to find a way to get out of here. I need to recharge and also get the dragonballs to the City of Hope. If I can help the others summon the dragon then we might have a chance to bring back all of the people who have died. I just hope I can find a way out of this mess to make that happen._

Zeus walked over to his throne and sat down, the dragonball in hand. He was a bit bored, but he would have some fun in watching Aku destroy Maro. It was the little things in life that he cherished. "Now, Aku, just because she is a lady doesn't mean you can go soft on her."

"Do you realize who you are talking too?" Aku flared his power briefly to help make his point.

Maro held her breath. It seemed that Aku was easily distracted. She knew that the hole that Piccolo had been blasted through was not far away. If she played her cards right she could find a way to get out of this mess and finish Piccolo's mission. That would make things much easier on everybody. It was time to try to turn things around.

_I think Aku has just given me an idea. If I can get these two to start arguing about their massive powers then I'll be able to slip out the side. Although he might be stronger than me, Aku doesn't have a speed advantage. I can use that to put some distance between us. I won't get far, but from there on in I can use the shadows to my advantage. I just need the perfect chance to turn them against each other._

"Don't get overconfident with me, Aku," snapped Zeus. "Don't forget who is master and who is the peasant."

_Yes. That will do._

At that moment Maro discreetly created a very small charge, almost miniscule. A flick of the finger tossed it on Aku's foot. It felt more like a static shock than anything. Maro smirked when Aku began to give Zeus dirty looks.

"That's big talk from a big man who refuses to fight me!" Aku stormed over to the throne. Zeus placed the dragonball down on the side of it. Aku's frequent outburst where common, but this one was getting on his nerves. His absolute power was being challenged and that was inexcusable.

"You forget who you are talking to, Aku." He now stood from his throne with Aku right on his toes. The size difference was uncanny. Zeus was at least 3x thicker, taller, and probably a whole lot heavier than Aku. Still Aku showed no fear or awe.

"And you forget who's been the one killing all of these fighters lately. I don't recall you doing much in the last few days. All you ever do is play around with that thing!" Aku forcefully pointed to the dragonball that was lying beside Zeus' throne… but it wasn't there anymore.

"Hmmm?" Zeus saw the strange look on Aku's face and checked for himself. He was none to pleased with what he saw.

"Well there you go. When you start getting old things like that happen." Aku waved his finger at Zeus. "You know she probably stole it and ran off into the night. It's going to be mighty hard to track her." He began to whistle sarcastically, waiting for Zeus to reply.

The big man had to hold in the bulk of his anger, not wanting to have to have the castle rebuilt. It wasn't that the dragonball had been stolen from him; it was how and by whom. Maro would suffer for this, but Zeus wasn't into hunting down low-level fighters. That's what he had his henchmen for. Aku wasn't so much a henchman, but he enjoyed hunting and killing. "Aku-"

"Yes?" he asked in an exaggerated tone.

"Maro must not return to the rebel base. Find her and kill her."

"But why don't you do that? I'm sure you'd-" Aku was stopped when Zeus grabbed him by the collar, then the neck. He didn't choke him. He only held him tightly.

"Listen to me. The rebels must not use the dragonballs. They must be stopped at all costs." Aku broke himself free of the iron-tight grip and jumped back. He wasn't used to being manhandled like that and it did nothing to spark his ego. Still he knew that Zeus was serious and that if the dragonball made it back it would be hell.

"Calm down, old timer. I'll get the stone back." Aku cracked his knuckles. He hadn't been hunting in a while. He ran out of the building through the hole in the wall. Maro had to have gone out that way. Now the task was finding where she went from there. It wasn't going to be easy. Aku was still under the influence of the drugs the Doctor had given him. They must have been made for a Saiyan. Nothing else would have lasted this long. He was going to have to fight through them, though. It was either that or face the wrath of Zeus. Aku figured he could beat Zeus, but in his current state it wouldn't be possible. Instead he would just kill Maro. It made more sense that way.

Smelling salts worked wonders to bring the unconscious announcer back to the world of the awakened. When he came to the same people as before surrounded him. He saw Trunks, who had a very serious look on his face. Then he remembered his request; he wanted to fight Zeus.

"… Well … I suppose since you did give up that the others have won the match. They are free to choose whichever door they desire."

"No doors. I will fight Zeus." Trunks stepped toward the smaller announcer. "That means I automatically pick that door. They get to walk."

"No, Trunks!" yelled Yamcha. "We won't let you do this! Why would you throw your life away?"

Trunks was quiet, understanding where Yamcha's emotion came from, but unable to return any. At the moment the picture of what he saw only moments ago consumed him. His father, a prince of an entire race, was slain maliciously. By whom? By the man Trunks aimed to kill.

"Trunks… just tell me why?"

"Because, Yamcha. I am a Saiyan. My father… he has always told me that I must show pride in my heritage. I must make my ancestors proud of me. The Saiyan race must not die. My father now lies slain in the middle of the battlefield. I know who is responsible… Zeus."

"Wha…" If Yamcha had heard what he thought he had Trunks was saying that Zeus was the one who put Vegeta out of commission. If that were true it might mean that Trunks had no recollection of what he did. As disturbing as it was that Trunks couldn't remember the power that he used it might be for the best.

"You once told me about what my father did when Cell killed me. You said he risked his life, that he gave all that he had to try to avenge me. In the end it wasn't enough to kill Cell, but it was enough of an effort to let me know his feelings toward me. I understand now what his drive was. It makes perfect sense." Trunks flexed his muscles and raised his fists into the air. In one motion he brought them down to his sides swiftly, causing a mass of yellow energy to rise up around his body.

"Trunks…" Yamcha had tears in his eyes. So much death and so much violence. He couldn't take it anymore. He viewed what was happening as the prelude to yet another good person going to their grave. Still he couldn't even get close to Trunks with the power output that was going on.

"My name is Trunks, son of the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta! I was raised on Earth and have trained in the ways of the Saiyan fighting race. My father has fallen to the hands of an evil enemy and it is my duty to avenge him. I will challenge Zeus and I will destroy him!" Trunks looked down at the announcer. "Now let them go."

"Ye- yes, sir." The announcer waved for the guards to open the door. Normally unimpressed by the fireworks they were all too quick to direct the fighters to the right door. At this point no one wanted to mess with Trunks. The announcer started talking to another person to the side who ran off soon thereafter.

In his throne room, Zeus sat down, now bored again. He had missed most of the competition. He remembered how anxious he was to see Trunks fight one of the earth fighters. Now because of the entire Piccolo/Maro situation he didn't have that luxury. No real matter, but being bored was never good.

A messenger came into the room, stopping only briefly to make himself known. He approached Zeus and whispered something to him. A smile found it's way to his face. Zeus was bored no more.

There was nothing they could do. Tien and Yamcha knew that if they stayed they would just make things worse. Trunks would do better if they were long gone. Wasting little time they ran to their ship. Once they got an idea of where they were they could find the fastest way to work and get home. They also planned on asking for a bit of help from the other fighters. If they could get some of them to make the stop then they might be able to push the war in their favor.

Yamcha and Tien, along with Talon, arrived at the ship designated for their departure. It was fairly large and looked like it had some power to it. That was a plus. They were inside quickly; they had a bit of work to do.

Trunks waited in the middle of the arena. He had had enough waiting. He wanted Zeus and he wanted him now. Finally the announcer took his place in the view of the crowd and picked up his mike again.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Due to a strange turn of events our fighters have won their freedom and will not continue in the arena. However, we do have one more match for you tonight. Trunks, victorious in the last match…"

A Furlan approached Trunks, holding a small bean in the palm of his hand. Trunks recognized it instantly as a senzu. He picked it up, thanking the deliverer, and ate it. His power restored in a short period of time. That was good. He would need every ounce.

"Now," called the announcer with extreme enthusiasm. "For the first time ever we will have a grudge match, pitting the red hot newcomer against the best in the universe… the almighty lord Zeus!" A collective gasp filled the audience. Nothing like this had ever happened. Zeus' opponents were normally guys who had fought against a few decently skilled opponents and were outmatched insanely. This time some entertained the thought that Trunks might be able to hold his own against him. Still, this was Zeus… could anyone hold their own against him?

The door (that the announcer was so obsessed with) opened slowly. Everyone in the radius backed away, not knowing what to expect. A first nothing happened. A few seconds later he emerged. He wore his traditional black/yellow bodysuit and accessories. He approached his opponent, each step glowing with his aura. Trunks could feel it almost as if Zeus were right in this face. He was still at least 50 yards away.

"Maybe I've made a mistake," whispered Trunks to himself, wondering aloud the decision he had made.

"Oh you have," replied Zeus. "You won't live to regret it though; this won't last too long."

The announcer, now a very safe distance away, raised his free hand in the air. "The fighters are in the arena. The battle begins now!"

Conclusion

Maro's past mistakes are now coming back to haunt her and everyone else. She is now the prey of the very person she wanted to kill. Unable to get the job done the first time to avoid detection she must now do the same to save her life. However if she is able to stay alive she might be able to turn everything around for the good guys. She carries with her the remaining dragonballs needed to complete the collection. With all seven reunited the dragon could be summoned leaving only one question… what do they wish for? Trunks might be confused on what happened to Vegeta, but he knows what he wants to do to Zeus. Finally the headman shows his battle prowess, but will Trunks be able to handle it? Gohan has found Syther and the to ready themselves for battle. Tien and Yamcha are on their way home. Hunter, Krillan, and Kale are still out of commission. What can happen next?

Next Episode: Dying Wish


	9. Episode 9 Dying Wish

**Shells And Shadows**

Episode 9 – Dying Wish

The night was dark. The winds were calm. Aku was not.

There was a certain sense of disgust about him. The fact that the less powerful Maro had not only embarrassed him on the battlefield, but also had now seemingly evaded him in his search. Even the mere thought of her doing either was infuriating. Aku had long prided himself on being the best, with no equal. If he couldn't find a lowly ninja girl…

"She must be somewhere around here! Damn it!" His arms rose out of frustration and despair. He would be the laughing stock of the castle if he couldn't find Maro. Still he didn't have a clue as to where she was. No trail, no markings, no nothing. It was as if she had just vanished. There was the strong possibility that she was heading toward the City of Hope, but Aku hadn't the slightest idea where that was.

His arm trembled, as if there were something inside that would not be held in. Suddenly it burst forth, bright yellow energy that quickly formed a sphere shape. He hurled it at the earth, cursing his inabilities as it descended. It struck a group of trees and shrubbery before exploding, reducing them to pine needles.

"I know you are around. Come out and I'll finish you off painfully." No response. No surprise. She was probably mocking him right now. Aku had no doubt that she was watching, knowing not to make a move while he was so attentive. At the same time he could not use that to his advantage. If he tried to close in on her and went the wrong way she could make a break for it. There was no guarantee that her destination was the City, either. It could be anywhere.

"I'm going to have to flush her out." Aku finally concluded. It was the only way he could think of. Still, if Maro used the explosions for cover… he would have provided her with her escape route.

_I'll take that chance… what!_

Somewhere in the distance a flare of power had formed. Aku stared at it's general origin, contemplating. He knew who it was. Son Gohan had just powered up. The other power he identified as his 'friend' Syther. Aku had no real love for either. Syther was too queer for Aku's tastes (plus he was weaker). Son Gohan was the first to best him in battle. That just wasn't cool.

"So Syther thinks he can take out my prey?" Aku warmed up his external chi, building it to flying level. He was about ready to blast off into the stratosphere. "I don't think so." Without so much as a second thought Aku's plans changed. He was about to kill two birds with one stone. He blasted off toward the fight, feeling excitement that he hadn't in a while. He was finally going to get a decent match and settle old scores.

From an area not too far from where the blast destroyed the greenery Maro finally allowed herself to exhale. She breathed hard, sucking in air at a tremendous rate. There was sweat dripping down her face that she hadn't dared try to wipe off before. Her worry was that any movement might have tipped him off. Maro had been completely surprised by how quickly Aku had found her position. Still his impatience and ego had gotten the best of him. He was off to fight a war. Maro now had an unobstructed path to the City of Hope. It would only be a few minutes for her to get there running and bounding at full speed. Maro took off, a new confidence filling every step. Things were beginning to look up.

"I'll kill you for what you did!" Trunks yelled from his position just before he rushed headlong into battle. He flew along the ground, barely an inch from the dirt, at super high speed. As he neared Zeus he maneuvered his knees to his chest, positioning his feet under them. He pounded them into the ground, forcing himself into a roll. When he finally reached Zeus' body he thrust his feet directly at Zeus' face. They bounced off of some invisible barrier, flipping him up in the air, open to attack. Trunks recovered as soon as possible, landing far enough away from Zeus to get a breather. He was upset to see that Zeus hadn't budged.

"Are you fighting somebody? "

"Your arrogance will be your downfall!" Trunks yelled as he charged again. This time he tossed a ball of energy then zanzokened behind Zeus. The ball came screeching away, but the big man never flinched. When it reached Zeus' position… he wasn't there anymore. The ball flew right through, now making Trunks it's target. He was totally unprepared.

"That was amateurish," snarled Zeus as Trunks' body skidded away. "If you don't want me to kill you now then you will have to do better than that."

"I can do better…" Trunks paused where he was, completely unmoving. His lack of motion confused Zeus, who was ahead in the fight.

_What is he trying to pull now? This should be interesting._

"Breathe in, breath out, breathe in…" He continued the chant over and over, his body expanding and contracting at regular intervals. Trunks closed his eyes as well, seemingly shutting himself off to the world. Still, there was a sense of awareness that piqued Zeus' interest.

_A new technique. I don't yet know its purpose, but it shall fail like all of the others. Maybe I should make him nervous a little. Play with his mind._

Zeus raised his right hand and pointed it in the direction of Trunks. Predictably it began to radiate with power. There was a grin on his face that could only be described as sadistic. "I think you should run while you have the chance."

"Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out…"

"Don't you realize that you never truly had a chance at fighting me? You are much too weak." The orb in his hand began to flash yellow and red, growing larger all the time. "Is it time to make your last stand, or will you just give up?"

"Breath in-" After that there was no Trunks. Zeus' couldn't believe his eyes. There was no way that he couldn't follow Trunks' movement, but there he was with no idea where the half Saiyan had gone. Zeus was sure that Trunks was still in the Arena, but he had to be moving at incredible speed to avoid detection. His technique must have been to increase his speed. How nice.

"An interesting move, but you won't win with speed alone. Sooner or later you will have to come to me." Suddenly Zeus' head snapped quickly to his left. He had not taken the hit physically; his shield absorbed the brunt of it, but he still felt the force. Still he was upset that Trunks had penetrated his defenses. Zeus cracked his neck and stood still, trying to listen to the sounds around him.

_Where is he? He can't possibly keep this up forever. Sooner or later his power will drain and I'll spot him._

Just then Zeus took another hit to the back, forcing him to step forward. No damage done, but his pride was taking a beating. That was until he felt it. Trunks' chi signature was no longer hidden. He had slowed down and was diving in for another attack.

Well now… in a rush to die.

He was coming in a breakneck speed, arrival time less than one second. Trunks was determined to get through that pesky outer defense around Zeus. He hadn't known about it before the fight and had to change his entire game plan around it. Now he was just going to try to bust through when he realized that he had slowed down significantly… he had probably already been spotted. Trunks put the breaks on in mid-air, hoping to avoid certain death.

Zeus reached out as Trunks stopped. His target, Trunks' neck, was out of range. His clothing was not. One hand grabbed as much of Trunks' shirt as possible, pulling him closer, as the other then sprang out for his now vulnerable neck. In no time Zeus had a firm grip. He squeezed tight, cutting off all outside oxygen to Trunks' lungs.

"You don't have as much zip in your step now, Trunks," mocked Zeus. He loved being in control.

The Saiyan tried to choke out some words, but nothing would come. He continuously punched at Zeus' face and kicked at his arms and chest, but the shield that Zeus kept up so diligently would not break. Trunks' blows did nothing besides sap his own energy. Zeus was unaffected.

"I must say that I thought you would put up more of a fight. You rebels always talk about how you would kill me, make me beg for mercy and make up for what I have taken. Well, Trunks, let's see you beg for mercy!" Zeus drove Trunks' head into the ground at full force, causing the Saiyan to nearly black out prematurely.

"N-… n-… no"

"What was that?" He cupped his ear, pretending he didn't hear the first time. "Did you say something?"

"N- never." Fighting against all of the pain that he felt, Trunks managed a smirk that spit in the face of everything Zeus was attempting to accomplish at the moment. He would not beg for mercy; he was not that weak. His pride ran deep enough that he would simply hold out as long as he could. That didn't stop Trunks from looking for a way to break the hold, though. Time was running out for him. His head was already starting to feel dizzy and heavy. His eyes wouldn't stay open.

"You have some fight left in you. Well that won't be for long." Zeus started walking, dragging Trunks like a rag doll. He approached the outside shield that protected the crowd. At the time he gave a glance to one of the attendants working around the area. He disappeared soon after.

Trunks tried to follow the man's movement to figure out what was going on, but he was having enough trouble staying alive. All he knew for sure was that Zeus was about to raise the difficulty.

"Well, Trunks, I'm sure you think that you might be able to hold out long enough to think of a way out of the mess you've gotten yourself into." The smug look on his face wasn't good.

"Even if I don't you will not get away with this. There is still hope… there is still Son Gohan."

That brought a very nasty snarl across Zeus' façade. "Son Gohan is nothing compared to me. When the time comes he too will fall to my hands. It is a shame that you will not be around to see it."

"I will."

"Insolent fool! You will not!" Zeus bashed Trunks head into the barrier, which lit up with electricity. With his shield intact the big man did not feel one spark of current, but Trunks took everything that surged through his body, lighting him up in pain. His agonized voice managed to find its way through Zeus' fingers to be heard, its listeners those all around the arena. He could not fight back. Zeus had him pinned and in an iron grip. The sensation seemed to prolong his pain; a normal man most likely would have been knocked out instantly.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" The last possible attempt to break free, Trunks summoned all of his reserve to break the grip by increasing the amount of chi between Zeus' hands and his neck. The move worked enough to get Trunks the room he needed. After getting little more than an inch away he used the wall to pounce over Zeus. He rolled once, stopping on one knee to catch his breath. He didn't look back; he didn't have the strength just yet. Instead he caught his breath. If he knew Zeus at all he knew that the big man would probably talk before acting.

Zeus snapped his fingers. "Almost had him."

"Now… it's my … turn…" Trunks picked himself up, letting his arms hang. He turned around, facing Zeus. Slowly his chi began to pick up movement around his body, swirling around making his clothes and hair flutter in the sky. His power rose steadily, moving upwards at wonderful speeds.

"You are just like all of the other ones. You think that your most powerful attack will help, but you are only throwing your life away. Allow me to take it from you instead."

"You are wrong! You can't see past your own power to understand your limits. Everyone can be defeated. No one lives forever. You will pay for what you have done, to me, to the people of earth. Everyone will be avenged. When the time comes you will repent, but it will be too late for you." Powerful sparks of strength radiated off of his body. Trunks was getting serious about raising his power. "I only hope I am there to see it."

"You'll have to survive this battle first, and that isn't going to happen. I tire of playing with you. I will demonstrate just a portion of the power that you have to deal with in order to get that which you desire. In other words, I will now show you why you never had a chance." Zeus' right gauntlet began to glow an eerie green/black hybrid. An orb of energy began to form out of it around his hand. "I'd say it's time to pray to your god for forgiveness…pray to me, Trunks."

"I will kill myself before I bow to you!"

"You surely will…" Zeus increased the size of the orb in his hand, prompting Trunks to add to his own power. A violent electrical current ran through the Saiyan man. The pupils in his eyes began to fade away, hidden by the awesome chi flowing around them. Zeus' normally smug look turned serious.

"Too… late…" Trunks gritted his teeth together to deal with the increase in his power. It was excruciating, but it would be necessary. "No… mercy…"

"Me? Beg for mercy? You must have me confused with the more pathetic chumps I normally battle. I do not beg."

"…" His arms spasmed, getting larger and then smaller, adding a bit of bulk each time. Every time Trunks growled, hurting all over. It would only be a few seconds more until it was done.

Zeus' orb reached its ultimate size, not much larger than a basketball. He controlled it on a single finger. That finger made an unkind gesture. Trunks ignored it. His body was ready to give way, but his heart told him to squeeze out a bit more before he stopped.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE!" At last the immense energy peaked around him, ripping the ground into large chunks and dissipating the shield that had once protected the crowd. Many of them, frightened by their exposure, ran for their lives. Still there were many that couldn't run; they were too scared. Instead they watched on as a newly bulked-up Trunks caught his breath and planned his next room. His entire body was ripped with muscle. His turquoise eyes revealed an anger never before seen in him.

Zeus still held his own attack on his finger, but he did not show any signs of using it. He looked amused by Trunks' new transformation. It didn't worry him.

Trunks breathed heavily at first, but now his lungs had caught up to him and he was feeling better. Now he was ready.

"Oof!" The air once occupying Zeus' stomach quickly found little room left to inhabit as Trunks stole the room away with his own fist (he hit him realllllly hard in the gut). Unfortunately for Zeus, his now open jaw was nailed with an even harder shot from the opposing hand. He stammered a few steps to the right.

Trunks flared his power and took off after Zeus, launching a barrage of punches slightly slower than normal, but much more effective. Still, he couldn't seem to dent or destroy the shield that had caused him so many problems. Trunks back off, touching down in his original spot. He had to think things through for a second. Zeus finally stood still and straight. He was still holding his energy ball.

"Giving up already?"

"You aren't that lucky. I'll get through that shield of yours."

"And then what? You can't possibly understand the depths of my power. My shield does a lot more than you think. Even if you could get by it… you couldn't handle me."

"…Maybe, but you can't beat everyone. You will meet your match soon enough."

"You've said that before. So have others. Why don't I show you some of my moves, boy?" Zeus grinned evilly. The energy ball on his finger began to rise into the air. Trunks watched it as it rose slowly, keeping his attention completely on its movements. He was sure Zeus was able to propel it at exceptional speeds. But-

"Damn!" Trunks caught his mistake too late. The orb was still steadily rising, but now Zeus had planted his knee in Trunks' nose. It didn't feel all that good.

"You're too slow, kid." Zeus snatched Trunks up by the hair and directed his face into the ground, following it up with an elbow to the back. Zeus dusted his clothing off and stood up nonchalantly while Trunks spit up blood, coughing his life away.

With little more than a tap Zeus sent Trunks reeling across the ground and dirt. One zanzoken later and he was now in front of his prey. He stomped on the ground, making Trunks nearly limp body flip into the air. Zeus grabbed him by the neck and powered toward the farthest wall. Trunks fought him the entire way, kicking at his head and punching him wherever he could reach, all the while trying to pry the iron grip around his neck.

_Desperate times call for desperate measures._

Trunks opened his mouth as wide as he could and bit down into Zeus' gauntlet. This time he made contact.

"AHHHHHH!" Zeus howled in pain. It wasn't so much the bite that had him reeling; it was the pain experienced. He never allowed himself to feel pain. It was his way of dismantling any hopes his opponents had of beating him. This time he had felt it. It hurt, but Zeus held his grip. Trunks soon found himself thrust into a very hard wall. He was almost embedded inside. Zeus forcefully pushed him in, extremely angered that he had been hurt at all. Trunks, though drained now, managed to smile and make a grunt that was meant to be a laugh. Zeus knew this.

"Oops," snickered Trunks.

"That…ARRRRRGGGGGHHH!" Zeus pulled Trunks out of the wall and dashed to the middle of the arena. There he slammed the Saiyan into the floor, making sure to put him a foot in. Then he jumped into the air, zanzokening out of site. Trunks coughed a couple of times, trying to pull himself out. It was then apparent that he wasn't getting up.

"Damn…" he said softly to himself. "I can't move at all… he's beaten me. Oh well. I did my best. I only wish I could have done more. He's just too powerful. If only my father… or Gohan… or Goku…"

"I hope you've had enough fun!" steamed Zeus. The frustration coming from him was off the chart. Trunks was about to die, but with the knowledge that he had chipped away at a bit of the armor, if only briefly. That wasn't acceptable. In order to make up for it Zeus was going to have to make Trunks death exceptionally unpleasant. He reappeared just below his orb, which had continued its path into the air. It now stopped on his fingertip once again. Without another word he flung it with all his power at the prone body lying in the middle of the battlefield.

"If only-" The orb tore a hole right through Trunks' stomach, lodging itself in the ground a few feet below. The eternal look of anguish etched itself on Trunks face. For a few moments he lay there, unable to breath, unable to speak, unable to express beyond his facial expression the amount of pain his body was experiencing.

"Die." It followed the command of its master. The orb below Trunks exploded, kicking up smoke and dust. The battlefield surroundings, including the stands where the spectators were, were covered in black nothingness. Although everyone's visibility was cut, they all knew what had happened. Trunks was now dead, another victim of Zeus. They cheered for Zeus, in their hearts knowing that it wasn't what they would have hoped for. They may have enjoyed any of the other fights, but when a warrior rose to oppose Zeus they all secretly hoped for the best. Still, the truth hurt. Another valiant warrior died. Zeus lived on. The nightmare would continue. There was no way to stop it.

All Krillan could do was wonder how the hell he managed to survive the surprise attack by Syther. It should have killed him. The wound was still open, still leaking blood. It hurt like hell too. Krillan propped himself up against a wall in a sitting position. He had no strength or desire to get to his feet. His body dripped with the fluid from the rejuvenation tank behind him. He had been inside not to long ago.

"Who are you?" he asked of the woman who seemed to have pulled him from the rejuvenation tank.

"My name is Maro. There is no time to explain everything. All you have to know is this." Maro displayed the treasures she had made away with, placing them on the floor in front of Krillan. There, plain as day and sparkling like gems, were the seven dragonballs.

"…HOW DID YOU GET THOSE?" The sudden surge in energy in his body excited his wound, causing him to pull back while wincing in pain. Still, he managed a grin.

"I'll explain later. You have to call the eternal dragon now. We need to make a wish before we are attacked!" Maro picked Krillan up gently but quickly. Time was everything right now. She didn't want to waste the chance that they were given. She picked Krillan up, draping him over her shoulder. He began to shiver, fighting the pain from his wound. Maro gathered the dragonballs as well. She was going to make this happen.

A few moments later she was outside in the city. It was still in shambles, but the dome above still towered over them, providing at least a little protection and cover.

"Krillan! Krillan!" Maro yelled to the man on her shoulder. "Don't give in! You have to call the eternal dragon."

"Right." Maro set him down on the ground, where he propped himself up on one knee. He was going to need a minute to clear his head. He couldn't remember the password at all. Maro waited impatiently as he did.

"All I here from you is talk, Syther. Make a move!" Gohan was becoming restless. He was unsure of Syther's motives, if any, in luring him to the empty space they now occupied. He would feel much more convinced that he wasn't running into anything foolishly if he let Syther start off.

"Gladly." He stepped forward and knelt down close to the ground. He placed his palm on the ground and then lifted it. On the floor was a disk. "You may have learned from your bald headed friend that I am now in possession of the personality of Bulma. I'll tell you, the town folk are pretty informative when you just ask them the right way."

"You… no…" The emotions flowing through Gohan were conflicting. Intense hatred, sorrow, and lust for revenge all swam around inside, each trying to take over. Gohan stood slack-jawed, staring at the disk. Bulma was now at the mercy of Syther.

"I've made my move. It's your turn."

"…You…" Air currents began to pick up around the two of them. Syther laughed haughtily, loving the situation. He could feel Gohan's power rising, but he didn't care.

"Yes! Yes! Show me your power!" Syther yelled. He began to gather his own strength, though not nearly at the rate Gohan was.

"…" That was enough. Gohan rose his hand, pointing it at Syther's head. One clean shot was all that he really wanted. He fired a blast. Syther avoided it by jumping into the air. That was good. Bulma's disk was now safe on the ground. Gohan wasn't going to pick it up just yet. First he had some business to attend to.

"Yaaaaaaaaaooooooooooooo!" Syther descended to the earth at tremendous speed. He slashed downward, embedding his claw into the soil. Gohan barely hopped back to avoid the attack. Seeing his chance he swung at Syther, but missed completely as his opponent was no longer there. It was then that Gohan calmed down, took a breath, and sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

_He's much faster than I am. Even now he's dancing around, looking for an opening to attack. I've got to pin him down somehow. _

Gohan levitated into the air slightly, then gasped. He not only felt Syther now, but there was a second person. Had Syther split into more than one being?

"Maybe… no. That's not Syther. No mistaking it; that is Aku. He must have sensed our powers and is coming to join the fight. That's not good."

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaoooooooooooooo!" Out of nowhere seemingly the psychopathic warrior struck again. This time he managed a good slash on Gohan's cheek, leaving a red ribbon of blood pasted across it. Syther landed on the ground and pounced again almost instantly, jamming his feet into Gohan's gut. He followed up quickly with a dual-footed flip kick that caused Gohan to tumble backwards one completely time before hiting the ground.

"Arrrgghhh." Gohan winced, then rolled. Syther had tried to impale him yet again. Gohan found his way to this feet, lurched forward to punch, detected another attack coming from above, and blasted away from the area before it was nearly destroyed. Syther had also barely escaped that exchange with his health as could be seen by his panting. He looked above for the source and found Aku.

"You wretched child! Watch what you are doing!" Syther beratted him. Gohan had found his chance.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" All of his rage and pent up frustration manifested itself around his body, creating the propulsion he needed to get inside of Syther's defenses undetected. Even Aku was unaware of the attack until Syther mysteriously wasn't there anymore. Instead he was laying in a trench he seemed to have dug unintentionally with his own body. Go figure.

"Nice right." Commented Aku just before avoiding one himself. He and Gohan exchanged blows, going back and forth. "Do you think I've forgotten our first battle? I'm ready for you this time!" Showing that he was, Aku backhanded Gohan clear across the sky. He zanzokened ahead of him and when Gohan turned to greet him, Aku put a well-placed roundhouse right in his gut. For good measure he followed that up with a right of his own. No sooner had he done that then Syther came up from behind with a double slash attempt. It missed.

"Impossible!" he cried aloud.

"Not even close." Aku appeared behind him, his hand already on Syther's back. There was no escape.

"You wouldn't dare. Lord Zeus would have your head." Syther tried to believe his own words, but found it very difficult. After all, he knew what Aku was capable of. That, and he knew that Aku hated him.

"You sure about that?"

Syther could feel the warmth of energy resting on his back. Even he would be hardpressed to move before Aku blew his stomach into the stratosphere. Was there any way out for him?

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" The war cry rung loud and clear for miles. Both Aku and Syther certainly heard it. Once again neither was able to do anything about it. Gohan was in a zone all his own. With pinpoint accuracy he collided head first with Syther's stomach. Syther then collided with Aku, and both were sent reeling. Gohan stopped at the point of impact and cupped his hands. "Kamehame…" A ball of light flashed in his hands.

"Damn!" yelled Aku. He still hand his hand on Syther, although the positioning was thrown off. Seeing it as his only way out Aku fired a chi blast. It skimmed off of Syther's side, sending him into an uncontrollable spin. Aku was pushed to safety. At least now he would get a chance to recover.

"HA!" A large beam exploded from Gohan's hands. Syther had nowhere to go. It nailed him, hard, swift, and to the floor. With no more ground to cover it simply exploded, covering the surrounding area with dust and dirt. A large bolt of lightning struck . The weather had taken a radical turn.

"Daydraming again?" asked Aku. He jabbed a few times at Gohan, but this time he missed. Gohan put up his defenses and blocked most of the shots as they came. The others he dodge. Aku kept pourning on the heat, getting upset that he couldn't make contact. Gohan kept dodging until he saw one huge opening. He then tattooed his knee on Aku's chin. Aku fell backward into the glowing sun. Gohan had to block his eyes for a moment to save his vision. As he did he wondered to himself…

Wasn't there just a thunderstorm?

Gohan found himself staring at the sky, unable to figure out what had just happened. He was engrossed in the fight before, but he did remember a thunder bolt crashing behind himself. It was as it the storm had only lasted a minute…

Maro placed Krillan back inside of the rejuvenation tank. She couldn't help but to smile. Although Aku still lived she had now given the good guys the supreme advantage. While the wish that Krillan made sense, the importance of it to the battles at hand wasn't understood until after. Once she saw the result, she understood perfectly. Things were about to change.

"I'm glad we weren't too late. I had no idea…" She sighed once and then put her game face back on. She now had one more thing to do before she could attempt to get retribution for her parents deaths. The generator still stood. It had to fall. Maro was just the person to do it.

"I might have messed things up before, but now I'm one for one. I'm going to do this right!" She ran out of the room, head held high. "I only wish I could be there to see Aku's face."

Syther picked himself up off of the floor. His superior speed had failed him in that exchange. His head rang loudly. It was like a church bell had found its way between his ears. He stammered around, trying to find his footing. Cursing himself he lifted into the air. At least there his clumsiness wouldn't be as visible.

Aku was back as well. He wasn't very happy. This time he was going to snap Gohan's neck… and then Syther's. The bones cracking in his fingers, the screams of agony… it would be sweet.

How it had happened was completely unexplainable, but somehow Trunks had stood up. Zeus had already left the battlefield, but the rest of the crowd was still present. As he stood up, apparently unsure of where he was or how he had gotten there they began whispering to themselves. Others were just too stunned to do anything. Trunks didn't know what was going on any more than anyone else.

"Trunks."

Trunks turned to answer and was overjoyed. Next thing anyone saw… was nothing. Both figures had disappeared, just as completely confusingly as they had appeared in the first place. What the hell was going on?

"No…" For once Syther was speechless. Normally cool, calm, and psychotic, he was now unable to react to what he was seeing. Gohan was caught somewhere between complete shock and joy. Aku couldn't shake the deathly fear that had overcome him.

"The dragon had something to do with this, I'm sure of it," said Trunks. He cracked his neck and his knuckles. He wasn't really sure what had happened. It didn't matter. Seeing Syther and Aku set him straight as to what was going on. The odds were uneven before. Now there were.

"Trunks!" cried Gohan, the first one to speak. Neither Aku or Syther seemed to worried about his arrival.

"Gohan. I don't know what happened, but I'm here and I'm ready to help. You ready?"

"Anytime." Both Trunks and Gohan turned. Aku and Syther did the same. Whomever had said that wasn't Gohan. "And I'm not the only one I see."

Trunks scarcely fought back a tear. "Father…"

Vegeta smirked, crossing his arms over his chest in his trademark style. "It seems I've arrived in time for the party. Aku, you look concerned. I've heard that you've been looking for me. Well here I am."

Aku was non too pleased with Vegeta's lack of respect, but at the same time he was happy to finally have his chance against him. Zeus couldn't stop him, Trunks was too weak, and Gohan was still worried about Syther for some reason. Vegeta was his…

"Stand back, Vegeta. This one is mine." The proud Saiyan prince didn't bother to look over his shoulder. He knew the man. The fight was his. Vegeta cleared a path for him. He looked at his son and approached him. "Leave."

"Wha-" Trunks cut himself short. He did as he was told, powering up before leaving the battlefield. Vegeta did the same. Gohan was stunned. He was awestruck. It wasn't that they had gone; it was who was left. Syther couldn't hide the fear. Aku was visibly trembling.

"I…" Aku tried to sputter out words, but they wouldn't form.

"You what?" asked the man.

"I… I killed you."

"…Someone did," said Goku sternly, "but it wasn't my son."

Aku was still overtaken by his emotions to be able to make any sense of what had happened. "I am not your son."

"You're not, are you?" Goku gave Aku a very cold look. It was the meanest, most uncaring face that Aku had ever seen from him. It sent a big chill throughout his body. "Maybe I should just kill you."

"What?" Aku jumped back.

"If you aren't my son… then you are an imposter!" Goku clenched his fist, power beginning to radiate from him. "If you are an imposter… then my son is dead. That means I must avenge him. To do that I will take you out."

"…it was you… you were the one talking to me in my dreams…"

"…Gohan…"

"Don't call me that! I killed you and I'll do it again!" Aku yelled, losing all control of his actions.

"You won't kill me, Gohan. You can't. You won't let yourself kill me. I was unable to help you the first time. I failed you. I will not make the same mistake again. This time, Gohan, you will be free. This time you will be Gohan."

Conclusion

The wish has been made! Now the fallen warriors, Vegeta and Trunks, are back and ready to go. Not only that, but another person has been brought back as well. It's Son Goku! Now that he has been revived things are looking up. As his first order of business he has taken it upon himself to deal with Aku, his own son. Now two megapowers are about to clash. What will Zeus do when he finds out what has taken place? The good guys have the advantage now. Stay tuned for the next episode of Shells and Shadows!

Next Episode: Duel of the Fates


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